The Eclectus parrot is arguably the most strikingly dimorphic pet psittacine bird species in aviculture today. With the emerald green of the male and the scarlet and maroon of the female, a pair of these birds easily attracts the attention of the aviculturalist as well as the pet bird enthusiast. Within this decade, these birds have significantly grown in popularity in the United States and abroad. With this increase in popularity, more current information on the aviculture and medical management of the genus is always in demand.

Although some authors have mentioned that the Eclectus parrot is comparatively short lived, dull, lethargic, and difficult to breed(8,9), this genus is maintained for an average life expectancy of similar sized parrots in many areas of the country. The reason for this type of discrepancy in health and survivability in various locations is believed to be predominately due to nutritional or husbandry deficits, although a specific explanation is not presently apparent.

The genus Eclectus is composed of only one species, roratus, and approximately seven subspecies or races.(1) Of these subspecies, the following four are the most commonly seen:

1. Solomon Island (Eclectus roratus solomonensis)
2. Grand (Eclectus roratus roratus)
3. Vosmaeri (Eclectus roratus vosmaeri)
4. Red Sided (Eclectus roratus polychloros)

Significantly less common are the Cornelia's (Eclectus roratus cornelia), Macgillivray (Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi) and the Biaki (Eclectus roratis biaki); and the Reideli's (Eclectus roratus riedeli) are relatively unknown in the United States.

The natural range of the Eclectus parrot includes New Guinea, the Solomon islands, the Indonesian islands and the Cape York peninsula of Australia(1). Their habitat is densely wooded semitropical to tropical rainforests, with a maximum elevation reported about 1000 meters(1). These birds reside for the most part beneath the forest canopy. Their natural diet includes fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, leaf buds, blossoms, nectar and leaf shoots. Nesting in the wild has been reported almost year round. Nest sites are in deep hollows of standing trees near the edge of the forest or in a clearing. The average reported clutch size in the wild is two.(1)

Identification of the races or subspecies of these birds is challenging in the female and nearly impossible in the male without knowledge of the area of origin or the domestic breeding history. (1,2,3) Interbreeding of these subspecies has been common in the past, with no particular attention being paid to the subspecies and geographical origin differences between these birds. As a result, there are many mixed heritage Eclectus in present avicultural circles, which are an easy source of confusion when attempting to identify any one bird in question. There is a strong movement in many groups of Eclectus aviculturalists to breed true subspecies as are seen in the wild - similar to efforts in other psittacine bird breeding programs.

The actual body weight and size varies significantly in these subspecies, ranging from 250 to 550 grams. There is no real weight guideline for the subspecies without considerations regarding the source of the domestic stock or the natural area of origination. As a result, weight gain data and hand feeding charts comparatively have less meaning in the Eclectus, and will remain so until individual subspecies are defined in that data. This data is being collected in some areas of the country at present time, and should become available for use in the next 1-2 years. The following information should help provide basic guidelines for identification of the female of the four major subspecies:

Eclectus Roratus Female Identification
	Solomon Island	Grand	Vosmaeri	Red Sided
Blue Eye Ring	Present	Absent	Absent	Present
Ventral Tail	Bright red	Bright red (yellow-end orange tip)	Broad yellow (1-3 inches)	Bright red
Weight	4 (smallest)	3	2	1 (largest)
Breast Color	Deep (Royal)	Dull Purple	Lavender	Deep (Royal)
Vent	Red (can have some touches of yellow)	Red	Yellow (can have some touches of red)	Red

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