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Description

Species Name: Eclectus Parrot

Species Latin Name: Eclectus roratus

Sub Species Names:

Grand Eclectus (Eclectus roratus roratus)

Vomsaer's eclectus or Vos eclectus (Eclectus roratus Vosmaeri)

Sumba Island eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus cornelia)

Tanimbar Islands eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus riedeli)

New Guinea red-sided eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus polychloros)

Australian eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi)

Solomon Island eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus solomonensis)

Native To: Solomon Islands, Sumba, New Guinea, Northeastern Australia, and the Maluku Islands

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: Ballarat Wildlife Sanctuary

Size (length): 40-45cm (15.8-17.7 inches)

Weight: 397-425g (14-15oz)

Lifespan: 30-40 years

Wingspan: 20-25cm (7.9-9.8 inches)

Population Size: 7300-51000

Description:

These birds are highly sexually dimorphic, the males and the females look completely different in the colouration of their feathers.

The males will have a mostly green body of feathers aloing their head, back as well as on the base of their wings and tail feathers. On the ends of their wings and tail feathers they will sport more of a light and dark blue set of colours. The males will also have red feathers along their sides and under their wings. The males will have an orange upper beak with a dark gray lower beak. They have orange eyes with a dark brown iris around their pupil.

The females contrast greatly from the males in that the females will have a body mostly consisting of a bright red colour around their head and upper chest. Blue feathers around the shoulders reaching around to the lower stomach. Finally their wings will have a darker shade of red. The females will have an entirely dark gray/black beak. They have white eyes with a dark brown iris around their black pupils. The colouration of the females feathers make her easy to see when she is outside of her nesting hollow, this is to attract the attention of potential male mates but also to ward of potential female rivals. The red coloured feathers also make it harder to see the female when she is hiding within the nest in the dark.

Both these birds will have light gray feet. It is believed that the reason for the colouration variety is that the males will typically spend their time up in the air. As a result of this they have evolved to have a green upper body to match the forestry below. The females will typically spend their time within the trees instead of up in the air. As a result the females have evolved with red and blue feathers that blend in more to the bark and the ground around them.

Diet:

These birds will feed in trees on berries, fruit, nuts, seeds and blossoms. In the early morning pairs and small flocks wil leave the roosting trees to move out into the surrounding forest to feed.

Behaviour:

In the wild these birds will nest in the hollows of large rainforest trees. These nesting sites are prime locations for the females who will defend their particular tree sometimes to the death from other female eclectus parrots. The female will typically stay at this tree for the majority of the year relying on prospective male eclectus parrots to feed her. Multiple male eclectus parrots will typically forage around the forest feeding one female in an effort to compete for the right to mate with her. Typically the female will lay two eggs, it is noted that the female Eclectus Parrots have a strong maternal instinct and will be very protective of their nesting tree.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclectus…

Birdlife: birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/e…

Animalia: animalia.bio/eclectus-parrot

Australian Museum: australian.museum/learn/animal…

Description

Species Name: Eclectus Parrot

Species Latin Name: Eclectus roratus

Sub Species Names:

Grand Eclectus (Eclectus roratus roratus)

Vomsaer's eclectus or Vos eclectus (Eclectus roratus Vosmaeri)

Sumba Island eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus cornelia)

Tanimbar Islands eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus riedeli)

New Guinea red-sided eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus polychloros)

Australian eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi)

Solomon Island eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus solomonensis)

Native To: Solomon Islands, Sumba, New Guinea, Northeastern Australia, and the Maluku Islands

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: Ballarat Wildlife Sanctuary

Size (length): 40-45cm (15.8-17.7 inches)

Weight: 397-425g (14-15oz)

Lifespan: 30-40 years

Wingspan: 20-25cm (7.9-9.8 inches)

Population Size: 7300-51000

Description:

These birds are highly sexually dimorphic, the males and the females look completely different in the colouration of their feathers.

The males will have a mostly green body of feathers aloing their head, back as well as on the base of their wings and tail feathers. On the ends of their wings and tail feathers they will sport more of a light and dark blue set of colours. The males will also have red feathers along their sides and under their wings. The males will have an orange upper beak with a dark gray lower beak. They have orange eyes with a dark brown iris around their pupil.

The females contrast greatly from the males in that the females will have a body mostly consisting of a bright red colour around their head and upper chest. Blue feathers around the shoulders reaching around to the lower stomach. Finally their wings will have a darker shade of red. The females will have an entirely dark gray/black beak. They have white eyes with a dark brown iris around their black pupils. The colouration of the females feathers make her easy to see when she is outside of her nesting hollow, this is to attract the attention of potential male mates but also to ward of potential female rivals. The red coloured feathers also make it harder to see the female when she is hiding within the nest in the dark.

Both these birds will have light gray feet. It is believed that the reason for the colouration variety is that the males will typically spend their time up in the air. As a result of this they have evolved to have a green upper body to match the forestry below. The females will typically spend their time within the trees instead of up in the air. As a result the females have evolved with red and blue feathers that blend in more to the bark and the ground around them.

Diet:

These birds will feed in trees on berries, fruit, nuts, seeds and blossoms. In the early morning pairs and small flocks wil leave the roosting trees to move out into the surrounding forest to feed.

Behaviour:

In the wild these birds will nest in the hollows of large rainforest trees. These nesting sites are prime locations for the females who will defend their particular tree sometimes to the death from other female eclectus parrots. The female will typically stay at this tree for the majority of the year relying on prospective male eclectus parrots to feed her. Multiple male eclectus parrots will typically forage around the forest feeding one female in an effort to compete for the right to mate with her. Typically the female will lay two eggs, it is noted that the female Eclectus Parrots have a strong maternal instinct and will be very protective of their nesting tree.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclectus…

Birdlife: birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/e…

Animalia: animalia.bio/eclectus-parrot

Australian Museum: australian.museum/learn/animal…