Eclectus roratus polychloros (Scopoli, 1786)

Sexual Dimorphism Introduction

The Moluccan eclectus parrot is unusual among parrots for its extremely prominent visible sexual dimorphism in plumage color.

Size and Build

It is a stocky, short-tailed parrot that reaches approximately 35 cm (14 inches) in total length.

Male Plumage Base Color

Males are mostly bright green, with a yellow tint on the head.

Male Wing Plumage

They have blue primary flight feathers, plus red flanks and red underwing coverts.

Male Tail Edging

Their tail has a narrow creamy yellow edge; the underside of the tail is dark grey with a creamy yellow edge.

Male Tail Feather Gradient

Tail feathers are green in the center, becoming bluer toward their edges.

Female Plumage Base Color

Females, also called grand Eclectus, are mostly bright red, with a darker red shade on the back and wings.

Female Body and Wing Plumage

The mantle and underwing coverts darken to a more purple color, and the wing edge is mauve-blue.

Female Tail Plumage

The top edge of the female tail is yellowish-orange, while the underside is more orange with a yellow tip.

Adult Male Beak Coloration

The upper mandible of an adult male is orange at the base, fading to yellow toward the tip, and the lower mandible is entirely black.

Adult Female Beak Coloration

The beak of an adult female is all black.

Adult and Juvenile Iris Color

Adult birds have yellow to orange irises, while juvenile birds have dark brown to black irises.

Juvenile Mandible Coloration

For both male and female juveniles, the upper mandible is brown at the base, fading to yellow toward the biting edges and tip.

Female Subspecies Abdomen and Nape Color

In most eclectus subspecies, females have blue abdomen and nape; the nominate subspecies E. r. roratus has purple abdomen and nape, and E. r. vosmaeri has lavender abdomen and nape.

Female Subspecies Undertail Coverts

Females of E. r. riedeli and E. r. vosmaeri also have yellow undertail coverts.

E. r. vosmaeri Female Plumage Brightness

Female E. r. vosmaeri have the brightest red plumage on both the head and body out of all eclectus subspecies.

Speech Development Age

Moluccan eclectus do not typically develop clear speaking voices until they reach one year of age.

Aviculture Blue Mutation Origin

A blue color mutation, caused by a recessive gene, has appeared in eclectus parrots kept in aviculture.

Blue Mutation Plumage Variation

In this mutation, male birds are light blue, while female birds have a combination of dark blue, white, and grey plumage.