There
are 10 or more subspecies of Eclectus Parrots, all strikingly
beautiful, from the South Pacific. They are an Asian parrot that
has been around for 10,000 years. Most other parrots have been
in existence for only 3,000 years. Their natural habitat is low-lying
plains, especially tropical rain forests. When food is abundant,
Eclectus parrots gather in large flocks, forage together, and
live in colonies. This accounts for them being a wonderfully social
bird.
The
two sexes of this species, unlike those of any other parrot, differ
dramatically in color. The females, depending on the variety,
are a spectacular combination of red, purple, maroon, blue and
yellow; the males are almost entirely green, with red under the
wings and on the side of the body, with a touch of turquoise on
top of the "shoulders". Both the males and females can
learn to talk clearly and distinctly, and develop a very animated
personality and charm of their very own. If taught to speak, they
will not develop the annoying tendency to screech which is exhibited
by other types of large birds. Instead, they will entertain you
spontaneously with a hysterical monologue of every phrase they
know, complete with inflections and melodious tones that they
come up with all by themselves.
