#eclectus roratus

Eclectus Parrot - Eclectus roratus

"just read about em in a book and they're so fascinating! the males and females are completely different colors to the point scientists assumed they were different species for years. they are also unique in that their babies are born sexually dimorphic in their colors! overall very interesting little guys" "I own one. He’s loud. I love him. Also they’re one of the only kinds of parrots with sexual dimorphism. Look em up. They both look crazy different. In fact, they thought they were two different kinds of birds for a loooong time."

The breeding behavior for this species is wild. Females are thought to be so brightly colored as they will guard the entrance to their nest cavity for up to 11 months at a time. The coloration serves as a deterrent to other females, but also highlights her presence to males in the area. One female eclectus can have multiple males that feed and mate with her, and males will take care of multiple females at a time as well. The male's green coloration helps to camouflage him against the leaves and trees as he forages. It is noted that the plumage of both sexes is quite spectacular when viewed under ultraviolet light, a type of light that they predators (hawks and owls) cannot see in.

"Adult females with poor nest hollows often commit infanticide on the male, if they produce both a male and a female chick. Inadequate nest hollows have a habit of flooding in heavy rain, drowning the chicks or eggs inside. This reported infanticide in wild pairs may be the result of other causes, since this behavior where the hen selectively kills male chicks is not observed in captive birds."

Sources:

Day 246, an eclectus parrot!  I think I’ll redraw this someday, I’m not exactly happy with this result but.

it’s something