Among the parrot species, there is a specific breed known as the Eclectus parrot. The Eclectus parrot is one of the most popular breeds of captive birds, for numerous reasons. First, they are the quietest of birds, but ironically, the best talkers.
The Eclectus parrots are beautifully colored, and they have glossy plumage that resembles silk. When compared to other breeds of parrots, the Eclectus parrot has a very stocky appearance, and he stands about fifteen inches tall. The tail is short and squared, while the wings are long and rounded.
Sexing Eclectus parrots is quite easy. First, if they can already talk, the males have masculine voices, and the females have feminine voices. You can also sex them by their colors. The male is usually green on the top, with wings of a different shade of green. He generally has red patches on his breast, and under his wings. His tail feathers are typically black with yellowish tips.
The female Eclectus parrot, on the other hand, has a red head, and red breast, and the back and wing feathers are usually a darker shade of red. Her belly ranges in colors, from blue to purple, and her tail is tipped with a definite orange color.
Eclectus parrots not only have the most pleasant sounding voices, but they are also very strong fliers, and do well on long flights. This is why many Eclectus parrot owners have their wings clipped after the bird learns to fly. These gorgeous creatures are usually very quiet and serene, but they do have two calls. They may screech three times when they are in flight. They also have what has been described as a flute like mewl when feeding as well. But other than this, you won’t be bothered with constant squawking and screeching from the Eclectus parrot.
In spite of their beauty and gentility, in Papua New Guinea, the Eclectus parrot is usually thought of as a pest, because there are large numbers of them, and they eat the fruit off of trees. For this reason, they are sadly often killed in this area, and their feathers are worn by native tribesmen. In other areas of the world, however, these beautiful birds are considered to be beloved pets, because they are highly social birds.
The Eclectus parrots can be found in the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Australia, and in the Lesser Sundas. Today, this remarkable bird has spread into approximately ten different subspecies. In these subspecies, the females still look like the original Eclectus parrots, but the males have more varied colors and marketing. The differences between the subspecies are indicated by their size and colors. The different subspecies include the E.R Aruensis, E.R Biaki, E.R Polychloros, E.R Solomonensis, E.R Vosmaeri, and E.R Roratus.
