Parrot Country's Halmahera Eclectus Parrots
 Solomon |
 Red Sided |
 Halmahera |
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About Halmahera Eclectus Parrots (Eclectus Roratus Vosmaeri)
The
incredibly beautiful Halmahera Eclectus Parrot has a personality that
is as colorful as its feathers.
In the wild, Halmahera Eclectus Parrots nest high in the forest canopy. In captivity, they tend to do well when kept in pairs. In the wild, a pair will usually be at the top of a group's hierarchy, with other parrots in the group helping the dominant pair to raise their young. Halmahera Eclectus Parrots kept in captivity may be fed plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables along with a good basic pellet diet or seed mix. The majority of the seeds should be soaked to make them softer for the parrots. Plenty of branches or wood should be provided for your Halmahera Eclectus Parrots to chew. Fresh eucalyptus wood is a particularly nutritious favorite. When kept outdoors, a 4.5 by 1.2 by 2 meter aviary in a sheltered area will suffice for a pair. Halmahera Eclectus Parrots can be taught to imitate noises and talk quite well. As with all parrots, generally, hand raised birds will make much better, tamer, healthier pets than wild-caught birds.
At maturity, the Halmahera Eclectus Parrot averages 15 inches in length. The feathering of the Eclectus Parrot has a strange texture and has been described as "hair-like". Male Halmahera Eclectus Parrots have yellow-tinted green feathering over the majority of their bodies, and their green shade is lighter than some of the other subspecies. Their primary wing coverts and primary flight feathers are a dark blue color, edged in green. The upper side of the Halmahera Eclectus male's tail is green and the tips of the feathers have yellow edging. The underside of the tail is black, edged with a thin band of pale yellow, stretching for about ten millimeters. The iris is a reddish orange color. Female Halmahera Eclectus Parrots have lighter red plumage than some of the other subspecies, and they have a striking violet chest and dark blue under-wing coverts. The plumage under their tails is yellow. They also have a band running to the nape that is dark blue. Females have dark blue green-edged primary coverts and primary flight feathers like the male, as well. The tips of their red tails have pale edging, and their irises are a light yellow-white color.
Halmahera Eclectus Parrots are native to Indonesia, Moluccas, and several surrounding islands. They are not uncommon in their natural habitat and are also seen in the pet trade, though they may not be as common as some of the other subspecies.
