Our new introduction to the Parrot Facts website is the eccentric Eclectus Parrot.
As with the Rainbow Lorikeet, it is theorized that the Eclectus Parrot originated from the large island of New Guinea. The Eclectus Parrot over the many years has colonized many surrounding islands like Solomon, Sumba or Moluccas, some by flying across water masses that are of short distances.
This bird is noted for being the most dimorphic of all species of parrots, and until the beginning of the 20th century the male and female were thought to be two different species. The male is mostly bright green and the female is mostly red and purple. Depending on the subspecies there might be others colours, but these are the dominant colours in all of them.
Eclectus Parrot male and female – Eclectus roratus
The Eclectus Parrot is commonly classified as a member of the Psittaculini tribe, but recent researches found that it also shares resemblances with the Lorini tribe.
While it is an abundant species, the Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus) is the only extant (existent) species of the Eclectus genus. The only other bird known to man classified as part of the Eclectus genus, the Oceanic Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus infectus) probably became extinct about 3000 ago during early settlements of this species’ native islands.
Eclectus Parrot video
Eclectus Parrot facts
Binomial name: Eclectus roratus
Scientific classification:
Family: Psittacidae
Sub-Family: Psittacinae
Tribe: Psittaculini
Genus: Eclectus
Subspecies: nine identified
roratus (Statius Muller, 1776)
polychloros (Scopoli, 1786)
cornelia (Bonaparte, 1850)
aruensis (G. R. Gray, 1858) - some authors think they are part of the polychloros subspecies
riedeli (A. B. Meyer, 1882)
solomonensis (Rothschild & Hartert, 1901)
macgillivrayi (Mathews, 1913)
vosmaeri (Rothschild, 1922)
biaki (Hartert, 1932) – some authors think they are part of the polychloros subspecies
Conservation status: least concern
Diet: mainly fruits, wild figs, unripe nuts, flower and leaf buds, and some seeds
Natural habitat: Eclectus Parrot species are highly adaptable and can be found living in woodlands, grasslands, and forests. They are most often spotted around coastal regions and farmlands.
Sexual dimorphism: extreme, the Eclectus Parrot male is bright green and the female is mostly red, usually with some blue/purple plumage
Size: around 35cm
Average lifespan: about 40-50 years
