This exquisite bird is one of the rare parrots where the male’s and female’s plumage are completely different, in such a way that – for ages – ornithologists believed that they were two different species.

The male’s plumage is mainly green, with a yellow beak, while the female’s is predominantly red, with a blue breast and a grey-black beak.

This parrot is naturally vegetarian, feeding on seeds of every kind, plus fruit and the nectar of flowers.

Usually living in little groups, the Red-Sided Eclectus Parrot nests in holes in large trees. When not in breeding-season, these birds gather in dormitories, sharing the places with other bird species, like the Greater Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo at night. These very common birds are not threatened.

Diet of Grand Eclectus 

The diet of the eclectus in the wild consists of mainly fruits, wild figs, unripe nuts, flower and leaf buds, and some seeds. In captivity, they eat most fruits including mangos, figs, guavas, bananas, melon, stone fruits, grapes, citrus fruits, pears, apples, pomegrenate, and papaya (pawpaw). The eclectus has an unusually long digestive tract, so tolerates a high-fiber diet. In captivity, the eclectus parrot benefits from specially formulated pellets, fruits, vegetables, leafy greens such as endive and dandelion, and a small amount of seeds and nuts such as almonds and walnuts.