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.
Eclectus Parrot
by alex | 8:38 PM in Eclectus parrot, Eclectus roratus, parrot pet, pet shop | comments (0)
Grey Parrots
by alex | 5:29 AM in animal, grey parrots, pet bird, pet perr, pet shop, pet supplies, wildot | comments (0)
The grey parrots may have many behavioral problems and most of them are caused by the human’s lack of understanding that it is first of all a grey bird and has little to do with a life in captivity. Many people fail to understand that and won’t allow that bird to manifest like a bird.
The grey parrots are exotic birds and come from strange lands. As strange as we find those lands, the same is for the parrots. They are not accustomed with the habits, the language or any other form of communication. A person should accept the parrot because the parrot also tries to understand the human behavior and tries to understand and live in peace with the human being.
Grey parrots caught in the wild are not aggressive when they are in a pair or breeding. They feel fear, which is justified, when they feel the presence of a human being, but they don’t have violent reactions. Usually, they share food, they play and they interact in a non – violent manner. Strangely, the grey parrots who act more violently while breeding or in pairs are the domestic ones.
The domestic grey parrots have a few reasons to become aggressive:
* They loose the respect and consideration for themselves when they are in captivity.
* They loose the desire to live safe.
* They are affected by human aggression because avian species knows that pain or aggression mean death. Those animals are not used to touches, pokes, pushes, chasing, shaking or striking. Those actions are frightening and dangerous for the parrots.
* Their self confidence, their trust and their comfort are shattered if they are intimidated. Standing over them, or staring at them may have a strong impact on the birds.
* A grey parrot will never trust a person who tries to dominate him or control small aspects of the nature.
* Just as any human being, a grey parrot won’t trust a person who uses sensory deprivation as a mean of punishment for misbehavior.
A comparison between a wild animal and a domestic one would fail from the beginning in every way especially when it comes to birds, which are usually predators. Genetic inheritance eradication would require thousands of generations of selective breeding to obtain a domestic bird like a grey parrot and it is not always possible.
A bird that becomes stressed will start self mutilating or biting or will develop phobias. There are many factors that could induce stress to a bird. When it comes to grey parrots, a person should know what actions stress the bird and try to avoid them in order to keep the trust of the pet.
The grey parrots are intelligent and sensitive birds and they have the tendency to find in the human caregiver the qualities of a teacher, parental figure and mentor. They get attached to their caregiver and expect to be treated with respect and compassion. This is a method that works as well for birds as it does for humans or dogs.
- Amazon parrots are native to South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Most Amazon parrots are green with varying amounts of contrasting color patches. The colors can be clear and bright depending on the species.
Amazons have excellent vocal abilities and are one of the best speaking of all birds. They are extremely loyal and make loving companions, however, some Amazons can become aggressive during mating season.- Amazon parrots require a lot of attention and stimulating activities to keep from being bored. If left alone for too long without toys or companionship, they may become destructive to themselves, occasionally plucking out their own feathers.
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Health
Amazon parrots love food and have a tendency to become overweight. Amazons often eat out of boredom, necessitating the need for several toys and cage activities. The Amazon's lifespan is 40-80 years, depending on the species, but obesity can drastically reduce the Amazons life by 70 percent.Amazons should be allowed to bathe regularly to prevent musky odors and promote healthy skin and feathers.
Are Your Kids Safe Around Pet Parrots
by alex | 5:27 AM in African grey, dog and cat, Moluccan cockatoo, Parrot, pet parrot, pet shop, pet supplies | comments (0)
Have you ever heard that having a parrot is a lot like having a two-year-old child? What do you suppose it's like if you actually have a two-year-old child and a parrot? Or a child of any age for that matter?
It's hard enough having just kids or just parrots. Mixing them takes things to a whole new level that can be on shaky ground.
As, parents we are responsible for kids and birds co-existing without un-due stress to anyone
You can't count on children to know their limits where birds are concerned. We all want to think that if a child gets bitten, he won't bother the bird any more. But, kids don't think that way. In fact, it's not even enough to tell them "hands off." Something that's off-limits just becomes more appealing. A child may be able to play just fine with the dog and cat, but have a hard time understanding why their pet parrot is different. It's not that they can't ever be around the bird, but there should be rules for everyone's safety.
Many pet parrots don't interact well with children, especially younger kids or those that are really wiggly, noisy or nervous. Calm, patient older kids, usually ten and up, tend to get along better, but even then there are factors that might make the situation dicey including:
- Children move differently, talk differently and give off completely different "vibes" than teens or adults.
- A 10-year-old's attention spans are shorter and they get frustrated more easily.
Parrots react to these differences with hesitation and possibly fear. Your pet parrot is more likely to bite or scream under these circumstances. For some birds, just seeing a child sets them off, even if the child has done nothing to warrant a harsh reaction. This is when you really need to be careful.
Having a pet parrot is NOT all gloom and doom
With the right bird, and some lessons for the kids about how to behave, everyone can get along fine. Many of our own experiences with birds started when we got our first budgie or cockatiel while we were in grade school. There's no need to deny a child this opportunity, but it should be done responsibly.
If you have a bossy Moluccan cockatoo with a hair-trigger temper, you can easily see where things might go wrong. But what if you have a friendly, happy-go-lucky conure or a shy and gentle African grey? How do you know where to set the limits? Obviously a more laid-back bird allows for more possibilities, but what tends to make it or break it is your child's personality and what you can expect from him or her.
Here are my top 7 tips to help your kids keep safe around your pet parrot
1. First and foremost, teach your kids that the pet parrot is part of the family.
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2. Only allow your children to interact with the bird under certain conditions. Such restrictions might be that an adult must be present and the bird can't be picked up without permission.
3. Make sure your kids can understand that as they get older, they will gain more access to the bird. At some point, you may decide your child is ready to have his or her own bird.
4. If all has gone well with the family bird, and you stick to the more kid-friendly varieties—budgies and cockatiels are your best bet—then give it some consideration.
5. The older the child, the more bird-care responsibilities they can have. Even a young child can help with some of the cleaning and feeding chores, but under no circumstances should a child be the main person handling this stuff. An adult or mature-minded teenager must make sure that the bird gets fed, watered and cleaned up after, especially if a child has his or her own bird.
6. Do NOT punish the bird for your kids' behavior. Kids can forget, even the more responsible ones, and it wouldn't take long for a bird to succumb to neglectful care. Please don't think it's a good lesson about the consequences of being irresponsible by letting your child's pet parrot die. This is NOT a good way to prove a point.
7. Take the bird away if it's not being cared for properly. This teaches consequences without punishing the bird.
You want your child's memories of parrots to be happy ones. After all, you may be contributing to the next generation of parrot lovers. The parrots are going to need them!
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