Eclectus parrots


Male Eclectus	Female Eclectus

Eclectus parrots are interesting pet birds and certainly among the most beautiful, Eclectus have a few characteristics that make them less suitable for beginners.

Eclectus (Eclectus roratus) - ten subspecies. Length 14 inches. The varieties are differentiated primarily on the basis of geographical origin. Distribution: The Moluccan, Lesser Sunda, Tanimbar, Aru, and Kai islands, and Cape York in Australia. Those most often kept are :-

Grand Eclectus (E.r. roratus) from Ceram; Red-sided Eclectus (E.r. polychloros, previously named E.r pectoralis) from New Guinea, which has blue eye rings, a blue colour band, and blue on the breast and abdomen; E.r. vosmaeri, which resembles the nominate form; E.r .aruensis; and the Solomon Eclectus parrot (E.r. solomonensis). The last two look much like the red-sided Eclectus parrot.

Eclectus have three great assets which have assured their popularity; they are spectaculary colourful, sexually dimorphic (they can be sexed at three and a half weeks old!) and they nest readily. The females are a combination of blue, red and violet; the males are almost entirely green.

Diet:- Eclectus require an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit, also berries such as hawthorn and elder which are very important. Deprived of sufficent Vitamin A, Eclectus will contract candidiasis (lesions may be seen in the mouth). Carrots and tomatoes are good sources of this Vitamin, or a multi-vitamin additive (most of which have a high Vitamin A content) may be added to a favourite food item. Most Eclectus will also eat corn, cooked rice, sprouts and greens. These birds will eat many small seeds, such as white millet, canary and hemp, in addition to sunflower and safflower, spray millet, peanuts and pine nuts. Celery, cubes of cheese are favoured items.

Unlike many pet birds, in the Eclectus the female is often more dominant. The Eclectus are good mimics but are seldom as affectionate as other large parrots. They can be more sensitive to their environment than many other parrots, and you will need to feed them a higher percentage of fresh fruits and vegetables to keep them healthy. Seed-exclusive diets are particularly hard for the Eclectus parrot to survive on for long.