Eclectus Parrot. Eclectus Parrots as pets. Eclectus Parrot Keeping, Pros and Cons, Care, Housing, Diet and Health.

By Roger Rodendale

The Eclectus parrot is one of the most beautiful birds in the world. This species of parrots is known for the sexually dimorphic or the uniquely colored male and female bird. It has an interesting history where most scientists and explorers believed that the male and female were actually two different species of birds until the 19th Century! Tod

• Language: English
• Publisher: IMB Publishing
• Release date: Jul 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781912057160

Book preview

Introduction

Humans and parrots have had a wonderful history together. These intelligent birds make the best possible companions. They are active, quirky and extremely interesting creatures. Over the years, people have learnt a lot about several parrot species and specific requirements of each species in captivity. People have been attracted to different species of parrots depending upon the behavior, the vibrant colors or the adorable size of the species. They have brought these birds home and made them part of their family and even taught them words that these birds can communicate with.

One such breed of parrots is the Eclectus Parrot. These birds are easily one of the most brightly colored species of parrots. This is why they are extremely popular as pets. Besides that, Eclectus parrots have an amazing personality. These birds are extremely laid back and simply love to play. This, for their human friends, is extremely endearing and entertaining. Usually calm in their demeanor, these birds can get really talkative at times. They are excellent at mimicking sounds, another trait that makes them fun pets to bring home.

But, with these parrots, one has to be really careful about interaction and socialization. These birds are not the easiest when it comes to adapting to new environments. Most of the times, new owners who do not have enough information about caring for these birds and giving them a good environment to thrive in will push the birds into stressful conditions. Then, the usually lively birds become extremely lethargic. This is one of the many reasons why people may tell you that the Eclectus parrot is boring and stupid.

Remember, that the parrot is very active and will make a lovely pet. However, if you do not provide him with a home that is conducive, he will pull himself into a shell and seem almost too stupid to get anything done. If you are a beginner with parrots, this book is the perfect tool that you need. It covers all the details that you will need to understand the requirements of Eclectus parrots.

These birds, like any other pet, need to be given a lot of care and attention. Once you are familiar with all the effort that it takes to raise a happy and healthy parrot, you will be able to decide if that is the best choice for you in the first place.

The book covers important details like feeding, housing, breeding and healthcare for Eclectus parrots. Their natural environment and behavior have been covered in great detail to help you understand what it takes to keep your pet happy. This book is especially necessary for someone who is trying decide if he should get a parrot or not.

All the information that you will get from this book is from the experiences of Eclectus owners. So, you can be sure that almost everything is firsthand information from the large community of loving Eclectus owners that exist in the world today.

Chapter 1: About the Eclectus Parrot

Electus parrots are fun pets to have. These gorgeous birds are known for their sexual dimorphism. In simple words, the male and the female parrot have very distinct physical features that allows you to distinguish between them easily. These parrots are majestically colored and are very unique in their physical features. In this chapter we will talk all about the physical aspects of this bird and their natural behavior and environment. That way, you will be able to understand all the care and grooming requirements of these birds in much greater detail.

a. Description

The most interesting thing about Eclectus parrots is that their feathers actually look like very silky fur. It looks like their bodies are covered in stands of soft and silky hair in bright and vivid colors.

The female

The male and female Eclectus parrots look very different. The females are known for their rounded bodies that are quite heavy looking. However, the body is quite compact too. Predominantly, these birds have a red coloration on their body. The shades differ depending upon the species. Most of these birds have very distinct breast feathers that are colored in a bright blue or lavender shade. The tail band is a bright daisy yellow color. In a mature female, you will notice that the beak is jet black in color.

The male

Unlike the females, the males have a more streamlined body. These birds have bright emerald green feathers with intermittent hues of bright yellow and blue. This depends upon the species of parrots. On the sides you will notice bright red colors. Sometimes, this coloration is also seen on the tail and the wings of the bird. When the egg just hatches, it seems like the upper mandible of the beak has no pigmentation at all. This changes when the bird is about 12 months of age to the typical jet black beak. However, when the male eclectus parrot becomes mature, the upper mandible gets a stunning corn color. This is one of the most exquisite physical features that usually develops when the parrot is about 1 year old. It could be delayed by a few months sometimes.

Overall physical characteristics

Eclectus parrots are medium sized birds that have a small wingspan which is usually about 2-2 ½ feet in length. The length of the bird varies depending upon the species. Eclectus can grow up to anything between 12 to 14 inches or a little over in length. As for the weight of the bird, it is usually about 430 grams on average for an adult male. This can go up to 520 grams depending upon the species. Females are slightly larger with an average weight of about 452 grams. This can go upto 550 grams depending upon the species. By seven weeks of age, an Eclectus parrot will reach his maximum weight. The largest and heaviest species of Eclectus parrot is the Vosameri Eclectus, while the smallest and the lightest species is the Solomon Island Eclectus.

b. Classification of the Eclectus Parrot

The Eclectus Parrot belongs to the order Psittaciformes which includes all parrots. This is a large order that is divided into several categories. The Eclectus parrot belongs to the genus Eclectus. Under this division, there are various species and sub species that are classified based on very definite physical traits or based on geographic locations.

The sub species of Eclectus parrots are considered to be natural hybrids that were formed because of an overlap of the geographic location of certain species. Overall, there are nine sub species of the Eclectus parrots that we will discuss in the following sections. Although the sub species Eclectusroratus is one of the only sub species that is well known, these birds are found on several islands in the Australasian zone.

Theoritcally, it is believed that the Eclectus parrots come from New Guinea. Over the years, these birds formed several colonies in the neighboring islands. They were able to fly over the small water bodies and make settlements within short distances. Eventually, these birds expanded their range, thanks to several natural phenomena such as cyclones, windstorms and even monsoons. These changes in the weather can carry a bird, insect or animal to regions that are far away from their original spaces.

Because of this migration or transfer, several endemic species developed. These species are today categorized as the sub species of the Eclectus parrots. Because of geographic separation, these birds have developed different physical features, different behaviors and other unique traits. However, these birds are quite connected to their roots. For instance, the parrots that are seen in Islands in and around New Guinea hold great similarity with the original species. The differences in the physical traits increase with an increase in geographic distance.

With this type of colonization, three distinct groups of sub species have been recognized. The grouping in this case is only with respect to the female. The reason for this is that the most marked differences are observed in the female Eclectus parrots across the different sub species.

The three categories that have been defined include:

1. The Cobalt Group or the Blue Breast Feather Group

Four of the nine sub species of the Eclectus parrots have been placed in this category. This includes the Solomonensis, Baiki, Macgillivrayi and the Aruensis sub species. These birds are quite similar in their appearance to the Red Sided Eclectus that is usually found in New Guinea in the areas that are lower in altitude. The primary difference that you will notice with these birds is their size.

Along the West to East line, a little away from New Guinea, you will find the solominensis sub species. These birds are the closest related to the Red Sided Eclectus. However, they are smaller than the original species. It is interesting to note that these birds get smaller as you move towards the east. This is because the eastern populations are farther away from the area of origin, New Guinea.

Then you have the Macgillvrayi that is found in the Southern part of New Guinea. The population of these birds is mostly concentrated on the Cape York Peninsula. These birds are similar to the Red Sided Eclectus but are significantly larger than them. It is quite easy to tell the difference if you have observed both the birds. The Macgillvray Eclectus is one of the most impressive birds when it comes to weight and size. It is believed that the birds that went on to colonize the Peninsula of Cape York had the genes to add size to an entire sub species.

The next sub species which is the Baiki sub species is usually found on the larger bays of New Guinea, Geelvink Bay. This sub species resembles the Red Sided Eclectus but is smaller in size. In fact, this resembles the sub species in the Solomon Islands. Whether the Baiki subspecies is a valid one is still quite debated among