Abstract
B eyond the material benefits that education may bring to our lives, it transfers light to our reasoning, and facilitates our search for truth, one of the most important of human endeavors. This introductory article on the Eclectus Parrot hopes to initiate such a process and within its many limitations, intends to plant a seed of interest and concern in the mind of potential owners and breeders of these parrots.
It is designed for all of those considering breeding or simply owning one of these parrots. Its main purpose is to assist them in understanding some of the idiosyncrasies and basic requirements of owning or breeding these beautiful birds. Consequently, this article is being written with the hope that breeders will use it as a starting point to orient and educate new Eclectus owners on the basic care of their parrots.
It is a guide in the most succinct form, and it does not claim to be perfect nor to be a recompilation of all facts known about these unique birds of the South Pacific forests. Indeed, in the world of parrots the Eclectus has one of the most stunning displays of plumage colors and unique appearances. To call them "winged flowers," "bouquet of feathers," or "gems of the sky" does not represent the most minimal exaggeration. Their brilliant palette of colors could have inspired in Chagal, Kandinsky and even Picasso a fury of creativity with chromatic values
forged by nature.
To put it simply, these parrots seem to be unreal, and their sexual dimorphism is extreme, and different from many other avian relatives. They exhibit an abundance of exotic traits in both sexes. They are wonders of the vast spectrum of nature's seemingly unlimited reservoir of exuberance.
Although their beauty is certainly able to captivate our senses, it is important to learn more about these birds, as their plumage is not their only charm.
The Eclectus, an Overview
A total of up to nine subspecies or races have been described for the Eclectus roratus. Others consider the number of subspecies to be only seven. Four of these subspecies are well established in U.S. aviculture. These are: the nominate species, Eclectus. roratus roratus, also known as the Grand Eclectus; the subspecies Eclectus r. vosmaeri, called the Vosmaeri Eclectus; the Eclectus r. solomonensis, known as the Solomon Island Eclectus; and the Eclectus r. polychloros, called the Red-sided Eclectus or New Guinea Eclectus. For a more detailed account of the subspecies, see the articles "Which One Are You ?" by Laurella Desborough on AFA's Watchbird, May-June, 1996 issue, and on the Part I of this series "The Eclectus; Winged Flowers," published in the jan-Feb., 1998 issue of AFA's Watchbird.
Size
The Eclectus is a medium size parrot. The average length of an Eclectus is 14 inches. The Solomon and Biaki varieties are smaller by approximately two inches. Their wing span is nearly two feet, and their weight ranges from 350 grams for the smaller subspecies, to nearly 900 grams for the Australian Eclectus, the largest of them all.
Distribution
Their distribution is the islands near New Guinea, the Moluccas and the Solomon Islands. Other subspecies habitats include the northeastern tip of Australia, where the magnificent Australian Eclectus shares the skies with the remarkable black cockatoos and other feathered beauties of Australia's Northeast.
The Eclectus is a relatively new bird in aviculture with approximately 100 years of successful propagation in captivity. Although these parrots are not in direct ecological danger, the unfortunate destruction of their natural habitat to agricultural and urban development, and the general instability of these islands, may in the future, change their status. As is the case with many others members of the avian world, if this unfortunate destruction continues, it may be up to the Eclectus aviculturists to save this bird from complete extinction.
Appearance
Although aesthetic values are hard to define and categorize, the general consensus on the established subspecies grown in captivity, is that they are all strikingly beautiful. The females lack even a single green feather but have a striking gradient of red and purple or blue, with one of the subspecies displaying a bright yellow band at the tip of the tail. In adulthood, both mandibles of the hen are extremely dark brown to black with a slight shine.
In contrast, the male Eclectus plumage is bright emerald green with some highlights of iridescent blue in the upper bend of the wings and scarlet red inside of the wings and in part of the chest. In the adult males, the beak's upper mandible shows a gradient of orange to yellow while the lower mandible is predominately black.
Some like the females of the vosmaeri with their daisy yellow hand in the tip of the tail, while others are partial to the Solomon, the Red sided, the Aru and the Biaki sub-species with their brilliant blue markings in the breast and the blue feathers surrounding their eyes.
In addition, many prefer the smaller size and compactness of the Solomon Island or the Biaki Eclectus. Within the full range including the nominate race and all the subspecies, males are similar in appearance and are very hard to tell apart except in some cases by their size and slight color hues, neither of which is easy nor a very reliable criteria.