The Eclectus parrot is one of the most popular types of birds to have. Because these beautiful birds live for such a long time, the decision to adopt one is often well thought out, with the understanding that this is essentially a life long commitment. However, there is one thing that few people stop to consider children. Is an Eclectus parrot living in the same house with children a good idea?

There will always be people who are on the opposite side of the fence from others, and this topic is no exception. With that said, however, there are some things that you should consider if you have children for the overall safety of your children, and the Eclectus parrot that you plan to adopt.

For example, Eclectus parrots don’t fare well in noisy, unpredictable environments, and young children naturally create noisy, unpredictable environments. In this case, the children are just being children and the bird is just being a bird. It’s nobody’s fault, but neither the child nor the parrot will understand this.

Furthermore, little hands are not always gentle, and this could not only startle the Eclectus parrot, it could also injure him. All of this combined could cause the parrot to feel threatened every time the child enters the same room that he is in, and he may exhibit aggressive behavior towards the child, which of course opens up the potential for injury to the child.

For these reasons, if you have young children, or you still plan to have children at some point, you might want to put off getting an Eclectus parrot until the child is about ten or eleven years old. At this age, they are better able to understand the preferences of the Eclectus parrot, and better able to accommodate him. What you must realize is that a child can be reasoned with, once they reach a certain age, but the bird is still an animal, no matter how affectionate he is. You will never be able to explain the situation to the bird.

Otherwise, children should be an important part of the Eclectus parrots life. They should be taught how to care for the bird, and how to handle him appropriately. It is important that they realize how important it is to talk to the parrot, and also that they understand how much loud, unexpected noises disturb this special bird.

If the child is more tolerant of the Eclectus parrot and considerate of his needs, you will be amazed at how tolerant the bird is of the child as well. The two will get along famously, and because these creatures live so long, there is a chance that the child will eventually become the responsible adult in this birds life.