Evelyn - Vosmari Eclectus

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/6...2f3d6b6ec9.jpg

Stumbled across this girl through assorted craigslist adds.. she and a male were picked up from a shelter, and the woman was attempting to trade them for a healthy unplucked Amazon or Grey, or cash + a large cage. Through talking with a couple other people, one was able to actually get ahold of the woman and talk her down on the price considerably (down from $600 and a large cage, to $300 and no cage). I would like to have not given the woman any money at all, but it was one of those moments where I was instantly attached to these birds from their photos. I've always wanted an eclectus, and I was up for the challenge that might come from a severely plucked, possibly ill tempered bird. They were being kept in cages barely large enough for a parakeet (keep in mind, this bird is about 15 inches from head to tail.. imagine living in a stall where you never had enough room to stretch your body all the way).

The one person who had negotiated her down picked them up the other night, and I drove up to Seattle to pick up the girl and split the cost. We have named her Evelyn, which, by complete accident, goes well with the name for my Senegal, Normandy, as Evelyn comes from Aveline, a Norman French name.

Her feathers are tarnished - She's bald where she could reach to pluck, and her feathers that exist are ripped apart from living in a tiny cage. She seems a little weak, possibly from poor diet and not enough room to exercise. We have the Senegal at a friend's house temporarily, as I can keep them quarantined. While Eve's feathers seem healthy, just physically destroyed by her/her cage, and her beak and face is healthy and eyes clear, I don't want to risk her possibly having PBFD, and spreading it to the Senegal.

She is the absolute sweetest, most docile creature to exist. I'm amazed at how friendly she is, considering what she's been through. Either somebody in her past loved her dearly at one point, or she's just a very forgiving bird, desperate for attention.

She's been getting a mix of beans, long grain rice, and nearly every vegetable I could find at the grocery store that was safe for birds. She does NOT like star fruits (sad, I do), and keeps flinging her leafy greens around the cage rather than eating them, but she is making progress on her alfalfa sprouts and habanero peppers :P

I don't know if she'll be able to get all of her feathers back, or just some, but there has been some spots of new growth that she hasn't tried pulling out. With better attention, frequent showers, some diluted aloe juice, and a healthy diet, I'm giving her the best opportunity to regrow her feathers. Even if she always looks like a vulture, she's a lovely girl =)

And just for fun, a picture of Normandy, too:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5136/5...bc3fddbcdf.jpg

Love your birds! And eclectus have a special place in my heart. It's great to hear that she's doing well under your care; plucked birds always make me feel disheartened. Not unlike reptiles it seems research is absolutely necessary when birds come into the house. Someday when I have a living situation that allows it I'll have some parrots of my own.

Very cool rescue, be sure to keep us updated with pics! :D Normandy is one handsome boy too

Poor girl looks awful. I hope she recovers fully for you and thrives in your care!

Thats terrible. Everybody is making it seem like its not as bad as it looks though... She'll regrow the feathers im assuming? Also why did she pluck her own feather all off in the first place?

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Thats terrible. Everybody is making it seem like its not as bad as it looks though... She'll regrow the feathers im assuming? Also why did she pluck her own feather all off in the first place?

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She may or may not ever grow her feathers back. There is some new growth so I am optimistic, but I'm not sure how bad/how long they can pluck before it becomes a permanent loss due to damaged skin/scarring/etc.

Typical reasons most birds pluck is due to stress or boredom. It is very similar to a human chewing their fingernails, and at times can be an equally difficult habit to break. She was kept in a VERY small cage, with no toys, and I don't know how much attention she got - I would've pulled my feathers out too in the same situation.

From the pictures I saw of her before, I believe she was also being fed on a parakeet-type seed mix, but I am not sure. Eclectus are special in that they have a longer digestive tract than most other parrots, and therefore need a modified diet to reflect a much lower fat content than other parrots. Normal pellets that are balanced for most, can be too rich, and lead to issues down the road, when fed to an Eclectus. Poor diet, as with any animal can cause all sorts of issues, that may make a bird pluck - itchy skin, organ problems, etc. She is being fed a diet that consists of assorted beans and long grain rice now, as well as a mix of vegetables, and some fruits. She doesn't like her leafy greens or her fruits, but she does like sprouts. I'm learning what she likes so I can provide her with a balanced diet.

Another thing that can cause plucking is not enough humidity - most parrots should get regular baths/showers. My Senegal doesn't like to go in the shower with me, whcih is fine because he does a great job of dunking his face into his water bowl and flinging it all over his body. Eve has been sitting on her shower perch with one of us when we shower, and doesn't dislike it, but doesn't seem to fully love it either. She sits and falls asleep. The added water should help get her feathers/skin back to where it should be.

I love parrots. So happy that you took her in. Senegals are one of my favorites. I have a litte Quaker parrot. Keep us updated on her progress.

I used to breed Vos (and Grand) and love them. Congrats to both of you. It's always so refreshing to see an ekkie in the hands of someone who has done some research on their diet.

Best of luck to the two of you.

I LOVE birds, especially large parrots. She is absolutely beautiful and I wish you the best of luck with her. Please keep us updated on her progress!

I found out Evelyn was hatched 12/26/01 from Aves International :)

These birds are absolutely amazing creatures. Just gorgeous.

I'm so glad she ended up in your hands, where she can be loved like she should've been. I used to breed Lovebirds and cannot believe how people treat these immensely intelligent animals.

She has such a sweet face and kind eyes. Even if she ends up bald, at least it sounds like she's having so much more pleasure in life now. I'm happy to follow this thread for updates :oops:

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Originally Posted by Vasiliki

These birds are absolutely amazing creatures. Just gorgeous.

I'm so glad she ended up in your hands, where she can be loved like she should've been. I used to breed Lovebirds and cannot believe how people treat these immensely intelligent animals.

She has such a sweet face and kind eyes. Even if she ends up bald, at least it sounds like she's having so much more pleasure in life now. I'm happy to follow this thread for updates :oops:

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Unfortunately, she needs to learn how to play with toys and explore the rest of her cage. She sits next to her food dish all day and just stares. I put the TV on for her today, so she has something else to keep her occupied. I'm afraid that since some of her feathers are growing in she will pluck them from boredom, because she never learned how to play and keep herself entertained.

She definitely has funny noises I am not accustomed to yet. Only one loud call, that happens about twice a day, which I'm learning is sort of a 'Oh hey! Hello!' or a 'Hey, don't forget me!'. Most of the time she sounds like a dog toy. lol. Definitely still a sweetheart.

Do you think she'd respond to foraging type toys? Or even clipping treats to different parts of the cage?

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Originally Posted by Valentine Pirate

Do you think she'd respond to foraging type toys? Or even clipping treats to different parts of the cage?

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Clipping treats is a great idea. I wonder if I can't use little cups to put little bits of her food in around the cage and encourage some foraging and exercise (can't really clip the food directly, as most of it is soft and mushy). She has plastic toys, and toys that shred, made of different types of paper and wood. Natural toys, colorful toys, natural branches, rope branch, etc. Lots of variety.. but maybe she will be motivated if I place her food all over instead of just in her dish. I also don’t think she’s had any water since we have had her. She can reach her water bowl no problem, but I think she’s just been getting her water from her food. She does not seem dehydrated, but I am keeping a close eye on her.

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Originally Posted by Anatopism

Unfortunately, she needs to learn how to play with toys and explore the rest of her cage. She sits next to her food dish all day and just stares. I put the TV on for her today, so she has something else to keep her occupied. I'm afraid that since some of her feathers are growing in she will pluck them from boredom, because she never learned how to play and keep herself entertained.

She definitely has funny noises I am not accustomed to yet. Only one loud call, that happens about twice a day, which I'm learning is sort of a 'Oh hey! Hello!' or a 'Hey, don't forget me!'. Most of the time she sounds like a dog toy. lol. Definitely still a sweetheart.

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I had a female Lovie that came to me with similar anti-toy mannerisms. Gentleman who bought her had her as his 'baby girl' for a few years. Then met his wife, who had two young boys, and they were having a baby together too. The bird, named Tweaky, was put 'away'.... Into a closet for over a year. Yes, I'm serious. When I went over to see her, he pulled her out and she was just a wreck. No feather plucking, but skinny, dull feathers and terrified. The boys immediately started banging on the cage and yelling at her.

When we brought her home, she would just cower on this one perch and not move for hours. What we eventually did was bring treats close to her and clip them if we could. We removed the 'busy' toys and had one simple toy close to her, with a few other toys on the further side of the cage. Lots of perches, and textures (fuzzy things, like a fleece happy hut we make). Her favorite toy? A bell. A simple, on a chain, hanging from the top of the cage in front of her bell. I would ring it and she'd look at me so weird. I'd slowly swing it a bit (hand in the cage at this point) and, again, she would just be unsure of it.

One day we came home to the noise of the bell ringing. Violently. Walked into our bird room and there was Tweaky, bashing it around like a boxer. She was growling at it! Hahaha. It was so cute.

With her we had to start really simple so as not to overwhelm her. Get her used to one toy, and the concept of it, then add a new one or two. Took about a year for her to finally break out of her negative habits. She was always cage aggressive, however. That never changed. But, she began to understand the game of "Drop the bell on the floor". We had a loose bell, we'd put it beside her and showed her that if you bumped it, it would fall with a clatter. Then we'd pick it up, repeat. Eventually she did it once and it was game on from that point.

I'm sure she'll get there once she's comfortable. Hopefully no more feather plucking until then. Poor girl. She has a long road, but it'll be so worth it in the end.

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Originally Posted by Anatopism

Clipping treats is a great idea. I wonder if I can't use little cups to put little bits of her food in around the cage and encourage some foraging and exercise (can't really clip the food directly, as most of it is soft and mushy). She has plastic toys, and toys that shred, made of different types of paper and wood. Natural toys, colorful toys, natural branches, rope branch, etc. Lots of variety.. but maybe she will be motivated if I place her food all over instead of just in her dish. I also don’t think she’s had any water since we have had her. She can reach her water bowl no problem, but I think she’s just been getting her water from her food. She does not seem dehydrated, but I am keeping a close eye on her.

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Sounds like a great setup! And the cups are a good idea, reminds me of how I've been trying to find good places to put CGD in the crested gecko tanks, haha. It might get her moving around a little more though

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Originally Posted by Vasiliki

I had a female Lovie that came to me with similar anti-toy mannerisms. Gentleman who bought her had her as his 'baby girl' for a few years. Then met his wife, who had two young boys, and they were having a baby together too. The bird, named Tweaky, was put 'away'.... Into a closet for over a year. Yes, I'm serious. When I went over to see her, he pulled her out and she was just a wreck. No feather plucking, but skinny, dull feathers and terrified. The boys immediately started banging on the cage and yelling at her.

When we brought her home, she would just cower on this one perch and not move for hours. What we eventually did was bring treats close to her and clip them if we could. We removed the 'busy' toys and had one simple toy close to her, with a few other toys on the further side of the cage. Lots of perches, and textures (fuzzy things, like a fleece happy hut we make). Her favorite toy? A bell. A simple, on a chain, hanging from the top of the cage in front of her bell. I would ring it and she'd look at me so weird. I'd slowly swing it a bit (hand in the cage at this point) and, again, she would just be unsure of it.

One day we came home to the noise of the bell ringing. Violently. Walked into our bird room and there was Tweaky, bashing it around like a boxer. She was growling at it! Hahaha. It was so cute.

With her we had to start really simple so as not to overwhelm her. Get her used to one toy, and the concept of it, then add a new one or two. Took about a year for her to finally break out of her negative habits. She was always cage aggressive, however. That never changed. But, she began to understand the game of "Drop the bell on the floor". We had a loose bell, we'd put it beside her and showed her that if you bumped it, it would fall with a clatter. Then we'd pick it up, repeat. Eventually she did it once and it was game on from that point.

I'm sure she'll get there once she's comfortable. Hopefully no more feather plucking until then. Poor girl. She has a long road, but it'll be so worth it in the end.

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Great suggestions! Fortunately she doesn't seem frightened of anything, but I know it's an ekkie trait to "study" instead of "panic" so I've been tryiing not to push her to do anythign she isn't comfortable with. Once her quarantine is over and we have good results on a vet check, I'm sure my Senegal will help her out with what toys are for. He makes good work of anything I put in his cage, and does not pick favorites on his path to destruction :P

What a great plan, I love that Bird. How lucky to find a home like yours to come too. Some people just DON'T belong owning any pets. I can not see how they could let this happen. Best of luck and keep us posted with updates.

How is this little darling doing these days? Any updates for us? :)