Eclectus parrot, or solomon eclectus parrot

Eclectus parrot, or Solomon eclectus parrot(Eclectus roratus)

Phylum —chordata
Class — aves
Order — psittaciformes
Family — psittaculidae

Genus – eclectus

Appearance

The Eclectus parrot is unusual in the parrot family for its marked visible light sexual dimorphism in the colors of the plumage. A stocky short-tailed parrot, it measures around 35 cm (14 in) in length. The male is mostly bright green with a yellow-tinge on the head. It has blue primaries, and red flanks and underwing coverts. Its tail is edged with a narrow band of creamy yellow, and is dark grey edged with creamy yellow underneath, and the tail feathers are green centrally and more blue as they get towards the edges. The female is mostly bright red with a darker hue on the back and wings. The mantle and underwing coverts darken to a more purple in color, and the wing is edged with a mauve-blue. The tail is edged with yellowish-orange above, and is more orange tipped with yellow underneath. The upper mandible of the adult male is orange at the base fading to a yellow towards the tip, and the lower mandible is black. The beak of the adult female is all black. Adults have yellow to orange irises and juveniles have dark brown to black irises. The upper mandible of both male and female juveniles are brown at the base fading to yellow towards the biting edges and the tip.

Habitat

The Eclectus parrots are found in the northern parts of Australia, New Guinea, Solomon Island, Maluki Islands, and other outlying Pacific islands of eastern Indonesia.

Behavior

Female Eclectus parrots are more timid and often less likely to be seen. This may be due to there being less females than males in a nesting area. Males are seen more often outside of nesting areas than females. It is typical for females to actively look for a hollow to live in because they do not build their own.

These birds devote a majority of their time collecting food, eating and resting. Eclectus parrots are very social birds; in order to breed and feed successfully they form flocks. While defending their territory they act aggressively and show an open beak as a way of frightening other members of the species. They will often “hide” their beak, in order to say they are backing down from the confrontation.

During reproduction males and females will often flash their bright feathers in order to attract attention. The females will stay with the clutch until it hatches and will be with the chicks until after fledging, at three months, where the fledglings will be primarily taken care of by the males in the nesting group, and females will frequent the nest. Eclectus parrots are known to be loud, noisy birds. They often make calls during flight and while roosting.

Diet

The diet of the eclectus in the wild consists of mainly fruits, wild figs, unripe nuts, flower and leaf buds, and some seeds.

Reproduction

In its natural habitat, the eclectus nests within hollows in large, emergent rainforest trees. Suitable hollows are at a premium and the hen vigorously defends her chosen nesting site from other females, remaining resident at 'her tree' for up to 11 months of the year, rarely straying from the entrance to her hollow and relying on multiple males to feed her via regurgitation. Males may travel up to 20 km to forage and up to five males will regularly provide food for each female, each competing with the others for her affections and the right to father her young.

Unlike other parrot species, Eclectus parrots are polygynandrous: females may mate with multiple male suitors and males may travel from nesting site to nesting site to mate with multiple females. This unique breeding strategy may explain the pronounced sexual dimorphism of the eclectus, as the female must remain conspicuous at the entry to the nest hole (to advertise her presence at her hollow to males and rival females), but well hidden when in the depths of the nest, because the red color hides her well in the darkness. The male is primarily a brilliant green color, which offers camouflage amongst the trees whilst foraging.

Two white 40.0 mm × 31.0 mm (1.57 in × 1.22 in) eggs are laid, which are incubated for 28–30 days. Young fledge at about 11 weeks. Although Eclectus parrots may reach sexual maturity earlier or later, they usually reach it between 2–3 years.

In captivity

The maximum reliably recorded longevity for this species is 28.5 years, but a lifespan of 40.8 years has also been reported.

An eclectus lives best in an aviary—11 feet long by 3 foot wide and 7 feet high— especially if you keep a pair. These birds like to fly, climb, and stay busy. If you do not have room for an aviary, then make sure the cage you provide is at the minimum 2 feet long by 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall.

This species can be a good fit for households with children as it has a gentle nature. However, they don't like to be startled and prefer a calm environment.  They are not big fans of constant loud noises like barking, crying, or screaming. Thus, it's essential to consider if your family dynamic is a good match for the bird.

The eclectus are active birds and need plenty of room to exercise. They should have access to a large play stand and a bird-safe area for climbing and exploring. At the very least, provide an hour of free flight time before breakfast and another hour of free flight time before dinner.

You'll also want to provide these birds many perches of different materials and diameters, so their feet remain healthy. A climbing ladder, swings, and a slew of fun toys to beat up and chew on will also make the eclectus happy.

If provided with enough stimulation, they do a better job than many parrots at keeping themselves occupied when you're not around. The more challenges you can give these smart birds, the better.

Foods for your pet bird will include a ready made large hookbill seed mix enriched with vitamins. Eclectus must also have their diet supplemented with all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables you can offer include green peas, cucumber, young dandelion greens, sweet corn, beet greens, carrots, broccoli, unsprayed lettuce, chickweed, dandelions, eggplant, green peppers, sorrel, spinach leaves, tomatoes and zucchini. Fruits that you can offer include, apples, peaches, apricots, bananas, pears, plums, raisons, and most other fruits. Avocado and chocolate are considered toxic for birds and sugar and salt should be avoided.

To keep the Eclectus healthy, the fruits and green foods are essential. Dry seed is notably deficient in Vitamin A, which is why they need additions to a seed based diet. Their digestive tract is adapted to a fibrous diet, which is provided by the fruits and vegetables. If deprived of a fibrous diet, they may develop Candidiasis. Eclectus are also prone to becoming fat, another reason why they should be encouraged to eat more vegetables and less oily seed. A cuttle bone or a calcium block is a good source of calcium.