Eclectus Parrot
Eclectus roratus
Conservation Status
Least ConcernAves · Psittaciformes · Psittacidae
About
The Moluccan eclectus is a parrot native to the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot order for its extreme sexual dimorphism of the colours of the plumage; the male having a mostly bright emerald green plumage and the female a mostly bright red and purple/blue plumage. 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 remain, and they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees. Some populations restricted to relatively small islands are comparably rare. Their bright feathers are also used by native tribespeople in New Guinea as decorations.
Fun Fact
Male and female Eclectus Parrots look so different—he is bright green, she is red and blue—that scientists originally classified them as completely different species.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Native to the Maluku Islands (Moluccas).
Diet
Diet of the Moluccan eclectus in the wild consists of mainly fruits, wild figs, unripe nuts, flower and leaf buds, and some seeds.
Lifespan
30 years
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance