Information about Eclectus Parrot

Eclectus Parrot
Male, Melbourne Zoo Male, Melbourne Zoo Female, Prospect Park Zoo, New York Female, Prospect Park Zoo, New York
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Psittacinae Tribe: Psittaculini Genus: Eclectus Wagler, 1832 Species: E. roratus
Binomial name
Eclectus roratus (Müller, 1776)

The Eclectus Parrot, Eclectus roratus, is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, northeastern Australia and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimorphism. The males of the species are bright green, having bright candy-corn-coloured upper mandibles and black lower mandibles, and blue or red tail and wing feathers; while the females have red heads and blue to purple breasts, with black beaks. Joseph Forshaw, in his book Parrots of the World, noted that the first European ornithologists to see Eclectus Parrots thought they were of two distinct species. Large populations of this parrot exist in Papua New Guinea, where they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees. Their bright feathers are also used by native tribespeople as decorations.

Taxonomy

Ornithologists usually classify the Eclectus Parrot as a member of tribe Psittaculini in the Psittacidae family of order Psittaciformes. However, some recent thought indicates that there is a great deal of commonality between the Eclectus Parrot and the Loriinae tribe. It is thought that there are six subspecies of Eclectus Parrots in the wild, with differences in size, colouring or habitat. Some of the most common subspecies are the Solomon Island, the Vosmaeri, and the Red-Sided.

Although the Eclectus Parrot is the only extant species in the genus Eclectus, fossil remains of another species, Eclectus infectus, have been found in archaeological sites in the islands of Tonga and Vanuatu (Steadman 2006). The species presumably existed in Fiji as well. E. infectus had proportionally smaller wings than the Eclectus Parrot. The species went extinct after the arrival of man 3000 years ago, presumably due to human-caused factors (habitat loss, introduced species).

Diet

The diet of the eclectus in the wild consists of mainly fruits, unripe nuts, flower and leaf buds, and some seeds. Two favorite fruits are the pomegranate and the papaya (pawpaw) with seeds. In captivity, they will eat most fruits including mangos, figs, guavas, bananas, any melons, stone fruits (peaches etc), grapes, citrus fruits, pears and apples.

Aviculture

Eclectus parrots are one of the more popular birds kept in captivity, as either parent or hand reared. Unlike many other species of parrot they are relatively easy to breed yet difficult to hand feed. Nonetheless the frustration of hand rearing an eclectus parrot can easily be outweighed by their character and companionship if imprinted properly. For Eclectus in captivity, it is also advisable to provide vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as lightly cooked sweet potato, fresh broccoli clumps, and fresh corn on the cob. Fresh greens such as endive or commercial dandelion are a very important in providing calcium and other nutrients. These birds should not be fed avocado, chocolate, or high fat junk foods such as French fries and commercially processed human foods such as pizza. Yogurt is the only dairy product which parrots can digest. Spray millet is one of the seed items they enjoy. A variety of soaked and cooked beans and legumes, along with brown rice, provided in limited amounts help provide protein to the Eclectus diet. Nuts and seeds provide vitamin E, but should be limited in order to avoid too much fat in the diet, as Eclectus can become fat.

One must avoid feeding an Eclectus fortified foods such as pellets, breads, pastas, etc. The Eclectus is sensitive to food additives, food coloring agents and man-made vitamins. Feeding commercial fortified products can lead to muscle spasms known as toe-tapping and wing flipping, as well as allergic reactions including severe itchiness leading to feather and skin damage.

Gallery

male	female
male

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Eclectus roratus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Garnett, S. (1993) Threatened and Extinct Birds Of Australia. RAOU. National Library, Canberra. ISSN 0812-8014
• Steadman D. (2006) "A New Species of Extinct Parrot (Psittacidae: Eclectus) from Tonga and Vanuatu, South Pacific." Pacific Science 60(1): 137–145 abstract

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• Honolulu Zoo Article on Eclectus Parrots
• Information and photographs of Ecletus Parrots
• Pictures of Baby Eclectus Parrots