Eclectus Parrot
Lorius roratus

CLASS: Aves
ORDER: Psittaciformes (parrots)
FAMILY: Psitttacdae Loriini (wax-billed parrots) Beaks of this group of parrots have a wax-like sheen and smoothness

SIZE:
11 inches

RANGE:
Indonesia, New Guinea, NE Australia, and Solomon Island

HABITAT:
Lowland rainforests, savanna, nesting in holes in high up on tall tree trunks

DIET:
Wild - Nuts, fruits, berries, leaf buds, flowers; feeding above ground prevents confrontations from humans and competition from aggressors such as the cockatoo

Zoo - Fruits, vegetables, seeds, and hard biscuits

DESCRIPTION:

• Sexual dimorphism
• Males -- primarily green feathers; when matures males have orange eyes; has a more prominent yellow upper mandible washed with bright orange and black lower mandible.
• Females -- red; yellow eyes; black beak
• Medium sized, stocky bird; tails rather square; wings long with rounded tips; feathers are usually fine and look like hair on a head and breasts more than other birds

FACTS:

• Not generally known for destructive chewing or picking on cage doors
• Strong fliers

• Like people around but usually do not like to be touched or petted.
• Moody dispositions
• Females aggressive enough to protect eggs, chicks, food, and self
• Some will talk

STATUS:
CITES App. II; not threatened; common in some of its range but declining and becoming rare in parts of its range due to trapping for the pet trade

REFERENCE:
"Grzimek's Animal Life Encylopedia", Vol. 8 Birds II, Dr. Bernhard Grzimek