ECLECTUS PARROT

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ECLECTUS PARROT

Strikingly beautiful birds, eclectus parrots live in lowland rainforests of Pacific islands such as New Guinea. These parrots are thought to have been introduced to some islands by forest-dwelling natives who kept them as pets.

HABITATS
Eclectus parrots are noisy, sociable birds that gather in large flocks of up to eighty. They fly very well and can climb trees with ease, using their beaks and feet to grip the branches.

The male is a stocky, medium-size bird with bright, glossy green feathers highlighted with red flashes on its sides and underneath its wings. The female is slightly smaller and has a bright red head, throat, and wings which contrast with her brilliant blue chest and purple under-wings.

Eclectus Parrots

Breeding

The eclectus parrot has no regular breeding season. During courtship, the male pursues one female and attempts to get her attention by making excited squawking calls. When the female is ready to mate, she selects a nest site in a hole high up in a tall tree trunk. The entrance is usually about three inches across. She chews up pieces of wood with which to line the nest and makes a soft bed for the eggs.

	The female lays two eggs and incubates them without the help of the male. The male visits the nest at regular intervals during incubation and feeds the female with regurgitated food. The eggs hatch after 26 days, and the young fledge (grow feathers) and learn to fly at 12 weeks.

Food & Feeding

Like most other parrots, eclectus parrots are vegetarians. At sunrise, they leave their roosts in pairs or small groups and feed in the tops of tall trees. They eat a wide range of buds, blossoms, seeds, nuts, berries, fruit, and nectar.

When kept in captivity, eclectus parrots will eat large amounts of green vegetables in addition to fruit and nuts.

The birds are strong flyers and will travel far from their roosting sites in search of food. Large numbers will congregate on fruit-bearing trees.

Key Facts

Size

Length: 14 inches

Wingspan: Up to 28 inches

Weight: Up to 16 oz.

Breeding

Sexual maturity: 3 years

Number of broods: 1, possibly more.

Breeding season: Varies according to location and climate; may be almost continuous.

Eggs: White, 2 per clutch

Incubation period: 26 days

Fledging period: About 85 days

Lifestyle

Habit: Sociable, roosting in large groups of up to 80 birds

Diet: Treetop seeds, nuts, fruits, flowers, and leaves

Lifespan: Probably 40-50 years.

DID YOU KNOW?

Newly-hatched eclectus parrot chicks are covered with short, thick bristles which are replaced with fluffy, gray down after two or three days.
Male and female eclectus parrots are so different in color that they were at one time thought to have been two completely different species.
Parrots have two claws facing forward and two facing backward; this gives them a good grip for climbing trees.

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