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BIRDS - ECLECTUS PARROT

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIA ZOO'S AMAZING ANIMALS!

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(Eclectus roratus)

Almost always during discussion about the eclectus parrot the first feature talked about is the amazing difference between male and female of the species: the overall bright green plumage of one sex and the basically red and blue plumage of the other sex. The really unusual factor, however, is the green bird is the male and the red-blue bird is the female. This lead to people initially expecting these were an entirely different species. Eclectus parrots are rather noisy birds in the aviary, emitting a harsh, raucous call.

Habitat

Eclectus parrots are closely associated with lowland tropical rainforest. They can be found northernmost islands in Torres Strait and eastern Cape York Peninsula, north Queensland and New Guinea region, from the Moluccas and Lesser Sundra Island, Indonesia, to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Diet

Eclectus parrots eat seeds, nuts, fruits, berries and nectar procured in the treetops. They are particularly fond of the fruits of Panadanus and Parinari nonda.

Breeding

The breeding season seems to be quite protracted for occupied nests have been recorded from mid July to January.