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• Don’t buy compact or pocket-sized binoculars (typically 8 x 21, or 10 x 21) as your primary pair for birding. The size and weight are attractive, but no matter how good the optics, compacts provide a lower quality image than mid- or full-size binoculars. Another drawback is that most compacts have a narrow field of view, which makes it very difficult to locate and follow birds.
• Don’t buy zoom binoculars. Expert birders report them as being inferior.
• Don’t seek advice on buying optics from non-birders. Hikers, hunters, and boaters have different needs than birders. Looking at birds is not the same as looking at other wildlife. Pocket binoculars are fine for looking across a savannah at an elephant or a cheetah, but they are not suitable for birding. Marine binoculars provide a sharp, bright image, but are too big and heavy to carry around all day.
• Don’t buy binoculars until you have tried them. Make sure they feel comfortable in your hands. Look through them and be sure you get a clear, unobstructed view. Different models suit different people, and each instrument varies. If ordering by mail or online, make sure that you can exchange them.

One thing about binoculars you dont always have to have the best specs for bird watching. Any binoculars are better than none at all. The thing to remember is that you need to have something to magnify the birds you will be looking for. If you are serious about bird watching, take heed of the tips for buying binoculars given above. They will be well worth the money!

Eclectus parrots are highly social, and extremely healthy. Maybe it is their overall good health that makes us forget that they can be killed by toxic materials. The most innocent things can be extremely deadly for Eclectus parrots, and it is vital to their continued longevity that you know what those toxic threats are.

First, as much as you may love your non-stick cookware, if you use it in your home where your parrot lives, you are putting his life in jeopardy. The Teflon in this cookware emits a toxin that can literally kill your Eclectus parrot in minutes.

You must also be aware of Teflon in bread machines and toaster ovens, and also realize that self-cleaning ovens also emit toxins that can kill your beloved bird. This means that you must go back to old-fashioned cookware, and manually cleaning your oven in order to protect your Eclectus parrot.

This isn’t the only thing that is toxic to your bird. You should also avoid the use of aerosol cleansers. In fact, most experts agree that you should avoid the use of aerosol products, no matter what they are for, if you have an Eclectus parrot in the home. Obviously, cleaning supplies are a danger to your parrot. Many of them are only toxic if they are ingested, but some are toxic if the fumes are inhaled as well.

You must also be aware of toxic foods. Chocolate, greasy foods, avocados, alcohol, and caffeine are all toxic for Eclectus parrots. Don’t assume that he is safe as long as you don’t give him these foods. He may find them lying about, and help himself. He doesn’t know any better. For example, if you have chocolates in a bowl, even if they are foil wrapped, he is perfectly capable of unwrapping them and eating them and he will.

Other products that could be harmful or toxic to your Eclectus parrot include bleach, dish detergent, coffee grounds, leather sprays, tea tree oil, thermometers that contain mercury, aluminum foil and cooking bags, epoxy glue, most essential oils, all types of pesticides in their various forms, plant food and fertilizer, carpet freshener, plug in air fresheners, spray air fresheners, mothballs, cigarettes, cigarette smoke, medications, antifreeze, flea treatments, linoleum, film, potpourri oils, certain plants, personal care products, play dough, matches, pine oil cleansers, and spray starch.

For the safety of your bird, you should consider using only natural, non-toxic cleansers in your home. Even something as simple as commercial furniture polish can be harmful. These days, in an effort to clean up and save the environment, there are many natural products on the market, so you won’t have any trouble replacing your harsh and harmful cleansers. Not only will you be protecting your Eclectus parrot, you will also be doing your part in protecting the environment. You may even be surprised that you and your family are healthier as well.

Those who are interested in owning birds usually consider an Eclectus parrot. This is especially true if they want a bird that is truly social with human beings. Because Eclectus parrots are often hand fed, or hand reared, starting before their eyes even open, these birds learn to not only depend on humans for their care, they have a true social interest in those humans as well.

However, not all Eclectus parrots are social. Some can be downright mean when confronted by human beings, or at the very least, not very well behaved. What happens to these birds to make them anti-social, and how can you be sure that the Eclectus parrot that you adopt will enjoy socialization with you?

First, let’s look at why some Eclectus parrots, which are known for their socialization, may become less than social. This usually happens because they are not handled enough as chicks. An Eclectus parrot may be handled enough by the breeder, but then not handled enough by the people who adopt him, and this can lead to socialization problems as well. In some instances, a bird may become anti-social if he is not fed properly. So, as you can see, the cause of most social problems are not the fault of the bird, or a bad personality, but the fault of the people responsible for his love and care.

With that said, it is essential that you choose your breeder carefully. You want to select a breeder who really cares a great deal about the birds. A hand feeder is best, and you need to find out how much the chicks are handled throughout the day while they are with the breeder.

Once the chick comes to your home, you absolutely must continue having a great deal of contact with him. You should touch him all over, while he is young, so that he becomes accustomed to your touch. You should also talk to him constantly. Use a clam, serene voice when doing so.

It is absolutely vital that you not keep your Eclectus parrot caged all the time. He needs to be let out of his cage for at the very least an hour a day, and preferably for longer periods of time. Some owners allow their birds to roam free all day, as long as they are home to supervise, only returning the bird to his cage at bedtime, or when they must leave the house. This freedom that he experiences is actually a part of his socialization.

Finally, realize that there is no point where it is okay to stop giving your Eclectus parrot so much time and attention. This is time and attention that he will require for his entire life just as you require time and attention from your human loved ones for your own well-being. If you continue to love and socialize with your Eclectus parrot, he will be well adjusted, and obviously quite social. In fact, you may find that he becomes your best friend, and your closest confidant.

There are three species of parrots that talk well, and the Eclectus parrot is one of them. In fact, it is believed that the Eclectus parrot is the best talker of all talking birds. He has the ability to repeat words and phrases, sing entire songs, and do a variety of sound effects.

One of the nicest things about the sound of an Eclectus parrot talking is that the males sound very masculine, and the females sound very feminine. The sound effects are very interesting because these birds actually imitate sounds that they hear and enjoy hearing. Potential sound imitations include doorbells, phones, microwaves, and running water.

As stated, the Eclectus parrot will build a wide variety of words and phrases, as well as songs. You will enjoy talking with your parrot, and it is essential that you talk often. You must repeat yourself over and over when you are teaching your Eclectus parrot to talk. Some people have tried using tapes that repeat and such, but this doesn’t seem to work. It requires human interaction. When you are talking to your parrot, make sure that you are speaking in a clear, calm manner.

It is important that when you are training your parrot to talk, that only one person is around the bird, and that only one person is talking. Otherwise, the Eclectus parrot may become nervous, and at best, he will become confused.

The best thing to start with is your bird’s name. You need to repeat his name often, and make sure that he kind of gets the idea that you are referring to him. Repeat his name often when you are hand feeding him. Remember that the bird has a short attention span, so don’t plan to spend hours at a time talking to your bird. Instead, plan fifteen minute training sessions, but settle for five or ten minute sessions if your bird seems to lose interest quickly.

Experts advise that you should give the bird an easy name that has the ee sound with hard consonant sounds, such as Peter. Once your parrot has learned his name, and says it, you can move on to other words and phrases. Remember that the more you talk to your bird, the faster he will learn to speak.

While repetition is important, it can also bore your Eclectus parrot quickly. Repeat the word or phrase repeatedly during one training session, but then wait a while between sessions. Also, once your parrot is getting the hang of talking, and he has learned a few words or phrases, you should still use repetition, repeating the same word or phrase in a single training session, but at the next session, use a different word or phrase so that the parrot doesn’t become bored with the sessions.

Finally, realize that Eclectus parrots are much like small children. They repeat what they hear even if it isn’t heard during an ‘official training session.’ Therefore, if you don’t want your bird repeating certain things, just as you wouldn’t say things you don’t want repeated around a small child, don’t say those things around the bird.

When you start thinking about adopting an Eclectus parrot, and you start talking to various people about the prospect, there is a very good chance that you will hear many myths, and absolute misinformation, concerning these very special birds. Here are the most common myths that you will likely hear:

Surprisingly, when people hear how wonderful Eclectus parrots are, they think that because they sound too good to be true, that there must be something inherently wrong with these creatures. The fact is that the Eclectus parrot is the most popular bird to adopt, and the reason for this is because they are actually quite pleasant pets.

Some people will tell you that Eclectus parrots only live for about eight to ten years. This is only true if the bird is not well cared for. A well cared for bird, on the other hand, lives to be between the ages of thirty and fifty.

Because Eclectus parrots were grossly malnourished when they were first brought to the United States largely because nobody understood their dietary needs these creatures were deemed as boring and stupid. This isn’t true. If the bird is well nourished, he is quite active and interesting.

For the same reason, many people believe that the Eclectus parrots health is fragile. This isn’t true at all. In fact, the Eclectus parrot is one of the healthiest captive birds in existence. They seldom get ill, and if they do, it is usually because they are not getting the proper nutrition.

This lack of understanding still exists in our world today. Some people don’t realize that Eclectus parrots require much more than bird seed or pellets. They require a well rounded diet of seeds, fruits, vegetables, and even grains.

You will hear reports of Eclectus parrots that have very bad behavior. In almost all instances of bad behavior, the bad behavior is due to negligence or improper nutrition. When the bird is well attended to, he is one of the easiest of all birds to keep as a pet.

Many people mistakenly think that Eclectus parrots do not talk, or do not talk very well. This is a complete myth that only becomes true when the bird is not sufficiently worked with. Eclectus parrots are actually considered the best talkers. They can learn an extensive vocabulary of words and phrases, and will even sing songs and make sound effects. Furthermore, the males sound very masculine, and the females sound very feminine.

In the future, if you hear negative things about Eclectus parrots, make it a point to find out for sure whether the information is true. The greatest source of information is a breeder with years of experience.