Samantha's Great Lakes Parrot
Raised by my family to become a part of yours...
Species Information
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Vosmaeri Eclectus (Eclectus r. Vosmaeri)
The Vosmaeri Eclectus can be distinguished from other Eclectus subspecies by the different purple coloration of the female, their larger size and the amount of yellow found on their tales. Although the difference between males is hard to determine the females are quite obvious. They grow to be approximately 15 in. in length and have "hair like" feathers. These birds are prone to feather plucking so it is best to provide plenty of toys, a well balanced diet, appropriate cage size and a calm environment, as they can become stressed easily. Because the Eclectus have a longer digestive tract than any other parrot they require more fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. This should be taken into consideration before purchasing a bird because of the extra cost involved in buying fresh foods.
Solomon Island Eclectus (Eclectus r. solomonensis)
The lovely Solomon Island Eclectus is a bit smaller than the Vosmaeri Eclectus. As with other Eclectus species, the male is green and the female is red and blue. Females have a ring of blue feathers circling the eyes. There is no yellow in the tail of females (as there is on Vosmaeri Eclectus). Male Solomon Island Eclectus tend to be a darker shade of green than male Vosmaeri Eclectus. Can grow to be approximately 12-13 in. in length.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Eclectus Parrot, Eclectus roratus, is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, northeastern Australia and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimorphism. The males of the species are bright green, having bright candy-corn-coloured upper mandibles and black lower mandibles, and blue or red tail and wing feathers; while the females have red heads and blue to purple breasts, with black beaks. Joseph Forshaw, in his book Parrots of the World, noted that the first European ornithologists to see Eclectus Parrots thought they were of two distinct species. Large populations of this parrot exist in Papua New Guinea, where they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees. Their bright feathers are also used by native tribespeople as decorations.
Ornithologists usually classify the Eclectus Parrot as a member of tribe Psittaculini in the Psittacidae family of order Psittaciformes. However, some recent thought indicates that there is a great deal of commonality between the Eclectus Parrot and the Loriinae tribe. It is thought that there are six subspecies of Eclectus Parrots in the wild, with differences in size, colouring or habitat. Some of the most common subspecies are the Solomon Island, the Vosmaeri, and the Red-Sided.[citation needed]
Although the Eclectus Parrot is the only extant species in the genus Eclectus, fossil remains of another species, Eclectus infectus, have been found in archaeological sites in the islands of Tonga and Vanuatu (Steadman 2006). The species presumably existed in Fiji as well. E. infectus had proportionally smaller wings than the Eclectus Parrot. The species went extinct after the arrival of man 3000 years ago, presumably due to human-caused factors (habitat loss, introduced species).
Eclectus parrots are one of the more popular birds kept in captivity, as either parent or hand reared. Unlike many other species of parrot they are relatively easy to breed yet difficult to hand feed. Nonetheless the frustration of hand rearing an eclectus parrot can easily be outweighed by their character and companionship if imprinted properly. For Eclectus in captivity, it is also advisable to provide vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as lightly cooked sweet potato, fresh broccoli clumps, and fresh corn on the cob. Fresh greens such as endive or commercial dandelion are a very important in providing calcium and other nutrients. These birds should not be fed avocado, chocolate, or high fat junk foods such as French fries and commercially processed human foods such as pizza. Yogurt is the only dairy product which parrots can digest. Spray millet is one of the seed items they enjoy. A variety of soaked and cooked beans and legumes, along with brown rice, provided in limited amounts help provide protein to the Eclectus diet. Nuts and seeds provide vitamin E, but should be limited in order to avoid too much fat in the diet, as Eclectus can become fat.
One must avoid feeding an Eclectus fortified foods such as pellets, breads, pastas, etc. The Eclectus is sensitive to food additives, food coloring agents and man-made vitamins. Feeding commercial fortified products can lead to muscle spasms known as toe-tapping and wing flipping, as well as allergic reactions including severe itchiness leading to feather and skin damage.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Eclectus Parrot".