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How to Feed Your Eclectus Parrot -- Six Essentials for a Healthy Eclectus Diet

| Updated September 26, 2017

The social, vocal eclectus parrot is a tree top dweller in the wild; it eats figs, berries and nuts. Although seeds should supplement the diet, it thrives when its diet is filled with fruits, vegetables, nuts and fiber. Offer your eclectus parrot fresh produce in season. The pet may occasionally exhibit muscle spasms called toe-tapping or wing flapping. Since eclectus in the wild do not show any of these symptoms, scientists link the spasms to a vitamin and mineral deficiency due to eating commercially produced bird food.

Feed your eclectus parrot fresh fruits in season or thawed, frozen fruit. If you can't purchase organic fruit, wash the outside of it well. The birds benefit from grapes, mangoes, apples, bananas, oranges, watermelon and papaya.

Include dark, green, leafy vegetables in the parrot's diet. It will enjoy kale, spinach, carrot tops, dandelion greens and Swiss chard.

Feed the eclectus parrot other vegetables including corn, green beans and peas. It needs a high amount of vitamin A and should be fed food with beta carotene, such as cooked carrots and sweet potatoes.

Offer legumes such as lentils and soy beans. Brown rice and other whole grains will help in this category. Eclectus parrots have unusually long digestive tracts, causing them to need fiber in the daily diet.

Feed it seeds and nuts each day. Sprouts are the best kind of seeds to offer because they are filled with important nutrients. Nuts contain fat, another important food item for parrots, but can also be offered as an occasional treat.

Give your eclectus parrot a little table food such as scrambled eggs, cooked rice and beans, and an occasional cracker. Offer it high-quality pellets on occasion to supplement its diet.

Tips

  • Remove fruits and vegetables from the case after 12 hours. Remove any cooked meat after 2 hours. Cut the fruit and vegetables into pieces, but not too small. Pieces should be the size of grape.

Warnings

  • Do not feed any bird chocolate, avocado or human junk food such as French fries.