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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
grand
Eclectus parrot |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Psittaciformes |
| FAMILY: |
Psittacidae
(true parrots) |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Eclectus
(choice or select) roratus roratus (moisten,
like dew; possible reference to shiny plumage) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
This
is a relatively small parrot with extreme sexual
dimorphism. |
| MALE |
Males
are generally green with blue at bend of wing; red
under wing and sides of body. |
| FEMALE |
The
female's plumage is generally red with dull purple
across upper mantle, abdomen, and lower breast. |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
30.5-35 cm (12.2-14 in.) in length; 50 cm (20 in.)
wingspan |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately
250-330 g (8.75-11.5 oz) |
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| DIET: |
Feeds
on fruit, seeds, buds, nectar, and pollen |
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| INCUBATION: |
26 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
1-3
eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
10-12
weeks |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
4-7
years |
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| RANGE: |
Northern
Cape York peninsula, New Guinea, Solomon Islands,
and the Indonesian Archipelago |
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| HABITAT: |
Found
in tropical rainforests and monsoon forests |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Until
the beginning of the 20th century, male and female
Eclectus parrots were considered two separate species!
This is due to the extreme differences in their
coloration. Unlike most parrots, which have very
little sexual dimorphism (noticeable differences
between males and females), male Eclectuses' have
bright green wings with red underneath and along
the sides of their body, whereas females are mainly
blue, maroon, and red. Male Eclectuses' beaks are
yellow-orange and black; female beaks are completely
black. |
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| 2. |
These
highly vocal parrots are not only excellent mimics
of human speech, they also produce a wide range
of other sounds, including tones, coos, whistles,
and laughs. |
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| 3. |
Eclectuses
make their nests up high in tree cavities running
deep into the trunk. During incubation, the female
will sit on the nest, while the male brings her
food. Once the chicks are hatched, the male will
share rearing duties with the female, foraging for
the chicks or watching the nest at night. |
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| 4. |
Dominant
pairs of Eclectuses will have helpers (usually made
up of older offspring or unpaired adults), which
assist them in caring for the chicks. |
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Parrots
play an important role in their habitat by helping
to propagate new forest growth. Many of the seeds
these birds consume are not digested and are passed
in the bird's guano over new areas of forest.
Many species eat fruit and nectar and are important
in the pollination of various species of plants
in tropical forests.
This
species used to be largely hunted for its plumage,
but habitat destruction such as deforestation
and logging of their nest trees is the major cause
for population decline today. Eclectus populations
are also affected by the pet trade, in which they
are highly sought after for their colorful plumage
and their skill at mimicking human speech.
The
U.S. Wild Bird Act forbids the commercial import
of any bird listed by CITES which includes most
parrots - endangered or threatened.
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| |
|
|
| Forshaw,
J.M. Parrots of the World. New Jersey. T.F.H.
Publications Inc. 1978. |
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|
Marrison,
C. and A. Greensmith. Birds of the World.
New York. Dorling Kindersley, Inc. 1993.
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| Parker,
Sybil P. (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia.
Birds II. Vol. 8. New York. Van Nostrand Reinhold
Co., 1972. |
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| Perrins,
C. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Birds. New
York: Facts on File Publications. 1985. |
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| http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/search/simple/ |
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| http://inst.santafe.cc.fl.us/~zoo/eclectus.htm |
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