Eclectus Parrot
Eclectus roratus
The eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus in older broad usage) is a forest parrot from the Australasian region, long known in aviculture for extreme sexual dimorphism. Males are bright green with orange bills, while females are mostly red with blue or purple underparts and dark bills; early collectors once described the sexes as separate species. Modern taxonomies often split former eclectus subspecies into several island species, so the name on a bird's records may depend on its origin and registry. In the wild, eclectus parrots nest in tree cavities and feed on fruits, flowers, buds, seeds, and soft plant material.
As companion birds, eclectus parrots are intelligent, vocal, and sensitive to routine, but they are demanding long-lived parrots rather than casual cage birds. They do best with roomy housing, daily out-of-cage activity, foraging enrichment, and a diet built around vegetables, leafy greens, sprouts, fruit, and measured formulated food. Some lines react poorly to overly rich or imbalanced diets, so owners usually work with an avian veterinarian rather than relying on seed mixes. Breeders pay close attention to pair compatibility, nest-box security, and the female's territorial behavior.
