Well thank you for the compliments. I took Posey to work with me yesterday (I'm a vet tech at a small animal hospital) so one of the other techs could hold her while I trimmed her nails. She did so well! Much better than I could have hoped!! And she absolutely loved everyone making over her! It's the first time we've taken her out anywhere and everyone loved her and she loved the attention!
We were pretty proud.
As far as how the ekkie and the IRN compare.....
Posey is quite a bit noisier than Ruby the ekki. BUT, Ruby is much louder! Posey can scream all morning and she'd never wake us up, Ruby screams one time and the entire house has heard it.
I will say, that although Ruby is pretty loud (it really depends on which call she is using), the african gray that my parents have is SO much louder!
The IRN and ekkie can be quite similar in handling and quite different as well. Both want the attention every single day, but both also have their limits. Neither one is overly cuddly, but Ruby is much more tolerant of hugs than is Posey. Ekkie's are a more laid back type of bird. Some folks describe them as not needing constant attention, which I agree to some point. Some will say how they do need lots of time every day but if you are ill, etc. and are unable to get them out of their cages for a day, they will easily forgive you (the ekkie that is). Whereas, if Posey does NOT get her extensive attention every single day, she will revert back to being wild as a buck. I will also add that our ekkie is pretty much a one person bird, as I am the only one who handles her frequently. But, she is not one to turn down the willing person to hold and talk to her.
One big difference I have noticed is the biting. Although Posey has had a rough start, she is quite stubborn and can give quite the bite that is very painful. The eclectus however, tries to bite with all her might (when she's trying to push her limits) and to me, it doesn't even hurt. They just don't have the beak gripping ability, as well as the ability to grip tightly with their feet (have to be careful in choosing perches, etc.)
I'm not sure if you know about the ekkie diet requirements or not, but that is something to be aware of too. It's not like other birds as they can have some pretty scary reactions to foods where you will note wing flipping and toe tapping. They just can't tolerate some things like other birds can.
Again, most of the things I have described are from our own experience. I will tell you that from other ekkie owners, most express that a male is much easier to handle and care for. Ruby is our first ekkie and I can see where the...stubborness is.
It's funny that you mention Chief not being able to fly. Posey is a pretty clumbsy flier herself, but she has also been stripped of her flight feathers. the previous owners (she's had several) had her feathers plucked, and it was done very poorly. She still has little wounds where the feathers would be! But, I am just starting to notice some little peeking feathers starting to grow out. I personally don't clip any of our birds' wings (we have cats and dogs in the house), but none of them really express the desire to fly away! Yet.
I'm so glad you liked the pics!!!
