About
The Eclectus Parrot is a striking mid-sized parrot best known for one of the most dramatic examples of visual difference between males and females found in any bird species.
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot
Eclectus roratus
Recognizable for the striking color difference between males and females.
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittacidae
At a Glance
Quick Facts
- Life Span
- 30 - 50 years
- Size
- About 35 - 42 cm long
- Diet
- Herbivore - fruit, nectar, and seeds
- Habitat
- Lowland and hill rainforest
- Native Range
- New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and northern Australia
- Trivia
- Males and females look so different that they were once thought to be separate species.
A Tale of Two Colors
Few parrots show a color difference between males and females as dramatic as the Eclectus: males are almost entirely bright emerald green, while females are red and deep purple-blue. The difference is so extreme that early naturalists first classified the two sexes as separate species entirely.
Diet and Habitat
Unlike many parrots that rely heavily on seeds, the Eclectus Parrot feeds mainly on fruit, nectar, and blossoms in the rainforest canopy of its native range. This softer, high-moisture diet is reflected in its digestive system, which is somewhat different from more seed-dependent parrot species.
Social and Family Life
Female Eclectus Parrots are known for defending a good nesting hollow for extended periods, sometimes staying inside it for the majority of the year and mating with more than one male who help provide food. This unusual nesting strategy is one of the more distinctive social behaviors among parrots.
Mini Zoo
