The Eclectus Parrot, Eclectus roratus, is a parrot native to the Solomon Islands, Sumba, New Guinea and nearby islands, northeastern Australia and the Maluku Islands (Moluccas).

It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimorphism of the colours of the plumage; the male having a mostly bright 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 exist in Papua New Guinea, where they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees. Their bright feathers are also used by native tribes people as decorations.

The Eclectus Parrot is unusual in the parrot family for its marked sexual dimorphism in the colours of the plumage.

The male is mostly bright green with blue primaries, and red flanks and underwing coverts, while the female is mostly red with a blue abdomen and nape in most subspecies, purple abdomen and nape in the subspecies from the north and central Maluku Islands (roratus and vosmaeri), and red abdomen and nape in the subspecies from Sumba and Tanimbar Islands (cornelia and riedeli).

Females of several subspecies have a yellow-tipped tail; taken to the extreme in riedeli and vosmaeri which also have yellow undertail coverts.

The upper mandible of the adult male is orange at the base fading to a yellow towards the tip, and the lower mandible is black. The beak of the adult female is all black. Adults have yellow to orange irises and juveniles have dark brown to black irises. The upper mandible of both and male and female juveniles are brown at the base fading to yellow towards the biting edges and the tip.

There are many different types of blue parrots in the world but perhaps the most popular one is the Blue-crown parrot. They are native to South America as many blue parrots are, more particularly they are most often found in Venezuela, Columbia and Brazil.

They are treasured creatures in their native countries where they spend their time deep inside the jungles of the Amazon like so many other breeds of parrots.

Rarely does someone have the opportunity to catch site of these birds, let alone any species of blue parrots, as their numbers are quickly diminishing due to poachers capturing them and selling them on the black market. Blue parrots can fetch a sizable price due to their ability to be quickly trained and kept as an exotic pet.

Sexing

So how can you tell the difference between male and female blue parrots? Well, blue-crown parrots all contain a white patch around their two eyes and in the male tends to usually have a much larger patch than the female. The other way to tell the difference between sexes is to take a look at the length of the cere feathers. The male also has much longer feathers than the females on this are of their bodies.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of most blue parrots is unknown however they are more than likely to live for up to 40 years, sometimes longer in the wild like most parrots. Why is this? Well most parrots need constant active social interaction which is usually much lower when kept in captivity.

Easy To Train?

That's right most blue parrots are trained very easily and have been well regarded as one of the most intelligent parrot They especially excel in the area of talking and have been know to be able to put together whole sentences which isn't too common among parrots.

If you have a blue parrot yourself, you will notice that they can be very affectionate towards their owners. They are also known to be protective at times and unless you are a usual visitor to the home of a blue parrot, you better watch out because they can bite and bite hard!

How Much Do They Cost?

You'll be lucky the purchase a blue parrots for under $300 and if you do, make sure you know where it is coming from as many of these birds are sold on the black market and you may notice that it has just come from the wild. If this happens to you, contact your local conservation center and explain to them what happened. More than likely they will take your parrot and attempt to rehabilitate it.

According to parrot experts, the Senegal parrot one of the best-known members of the entire Poicephalus family for having compact and cuddly physical traits and a very playful attitude. Frequently seen in pet shops around the United States and Europe, Senegal parrots originated from the north central part of Africa.

Unlike other parrot species, parrots posses an entirely different nature which are extremely playful, gentle and sweet in temperament that is perfect for its charming personality, cleverness, clear speech, and manageable behavior. They are also quieter but are good talkers if taught and trained properly. Since they possess much tamer nature, are known to be less demanding especially if they are given daily attention and interaction.

Senegal parrots are the most commonly kept Poicephalus birds there are. Identified for being a green bird with a gray head, Senegal parrots are famous for sporting different colored under parts, either its belly or vest with a bright yellow iris.

Senegal parrots can be divided into three sub-species that can easily be characterized by the color of their bellies as well as by their following names that include Poicephalus senegalus hailing from Southern Mauritania, southern Mali to Guinea and from the Island of Los, these are known as the nominate race and has a yellow belly; Poicephalus senegalus versteri originates from the Ivory Coast and Ghana east to western Nigeria and has red belly; and Poicephalus senegalus mesotypus coming from Eastern and North- eastern Nigeria, northern Cameroon into south-western Chad and has an orange belly.

These parrots live in moist woodlands and on the edges of the grasslands. They primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and grains particularly the seed of locust beans and newly formed buds of a various trees.

A Senegal parrot’s diet should consist of a good quality seed mixture of nuts, seeds, lean meat, biscuits, fruits, and vegetables—either raw or cooked. Vitamin and mineral supplements are also given to meet the nutritional need of the parrot.

Hand reared Senegal parrots are the most suitable pets because they are small enough to handle and can be placed in a medium sized parrot cage. These should be kept in cages or aviaries where they can eat and sleep. Preferably, Senegal parrots should be housed in relatively small cages manufactured for “small birds” and should be provided with lots of toys, T-stands and swings.

Senegal parrots are not as great talkers like the African Grey parrots but have the ability to learn a vocabulary depending on the owner’s patience to teach. Senegals can be bought from $149 to $500.

Whether you know them as Quaker parrots or Monk parrots, these little green and grey birds are the subject of a lot of controversy. Quakers are illegal to keep in many states.

The worry is that escaped individuals will form large wild populations and become a major pest. Whether these laws are based in reality or not, the issue is being hotly debated between parrot welfare groups and governing agencies.


You can get more information about this from the internet ! This article is about the Quaker as a pet, for those of you who are allowed to have one. Those who can’t are encouraged to become active in the efforts to overturn the restrictive laws so that everyone can enjoy Quakers.

Quakers are a small parrot native to South America. They are a very affordable bird compared to other parrots their size. Beautiful color mutations like powder blue and yellow are available, too. They’re more expensive than the normal greens, but as they become more established, the prices become more reasonable. A Quaker’s size makes him easy to accommodate if you don’t have a lot of space, but if you live in an apartment, you may want to check to see how "soundproof" your walls are.

Noise is often one of the biggest behavior problems reported by Quaker owners. Nipping is another. These birds are outgoing and active, and their energy levels can be hard for some people to manage. If you’re a patient person, and know how to provide a sense of authority without being a bully, you’re more likely to get along with a Quaker than someone who’s either too hesitant or too aggressive. Overall, the Quaker is a feisty but lovable little parrot. One thing that makes them so cute is their lively, bouncy bob. When you see it, you can’t help but be drawn to the bird.

Snuggles and kisses are activities Quakers like to engage in, but they’re also playful and like to show off. Their talking ability can be quite impressive, and they tend to be enthusiastic learners. Games and trick training are good ways to provide needed physical and mental exercise, as well as giving your bird some structure to his daily life.

Appropriate activity helps the bird channel his energy in a way that’s not as likely to get him into trouble. When behavior problems do occur with Quakers, boredom is a common contributor. Keep your Quaker busy, and you’ll keep him happy.

Because Quakers are very social, they’re eager for attention, and will usually want to hang around with you. Encouraging independent play is very important so your Quaker can be by himself when he needs to. You’ll also want him to meet and be handled by other people, and set consistent rules so he knows what he can and can’t get away with. If children are going to handle him, they’ll need to know the rules, too, so they don’t accidentally encourage bad habits. A Quaker may quickly take advantage of a person he thinks isn’t going to make him mind.

Some Quakers may be reluctant to step up onto people’s hands. We had one like this. It wasn’t that he didn’t’ want to come to us, but he would rather be picked up like a ball than step up. At first we thought he had a physical problem, or was mentally not too bright, but we eventually realized this wasn’t the case. He just liked being picked up.

The people who had him before we did probably took the path of least resistance and never worked on stepping up since it was easier to pick him up. Having talked to other Quaker owners with a similar problem, I think this may be more common in birds that came from large breeding facilities, or any place where the hand feeder didn’t have time to wait for the young bird to figure out the hand thing. Quakers are smart, but they’re also on the stubborn side, which can be part of their charm. That, and their little bob.