Eclectus ParrotAuthor: csleesburg
Category: ZT2 Ambient Animals
Date Added: July, 2006
Size: 100 KB
Compatibility: ZT2 ES
Description: A bird that flies over your zoo. Parrots are gaily and boldly colored birds. Their plumage, which is evenly but thinly distributed over their bodies, consists of patches of solid color, often sharply contrasting one with another. Both sexes are glossy, brilliant birds, but the male is bright green with blue and red patches, while the female is crimson with a blue belly.
The feet of parrots are unusual. The two outer toes of the foot point backwards and grip in opposition to the two forward pointing inner toes. This provides them with an extremely powerful grasp, enabling them to hold and manipulate objects close to their bill. Most parrots are tree-dwellers, and they tend to be most plentiful in and around lowland tropical forests. Parrots nest in holes, usually in trees, but sometimes among rocks or in termite mounds.
Eclectus parrots are found in Lesser Sundas, Solomon islands, New Guinea, and NE Australia. In the early 1980's they were found to be among the most common parrots in the Moluccan Islands. They are birds of lowland forests and clumps of tall trees.
These birds are strong fliers and on long flights, they fly high above the forest canopy. Calling loudly, pairs or small parties travel widely through the upper canopy in search of fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, leaf buds, blossoms and nectar, all of which are procured mainly in the treetops. In the evening they engage in display flights before gathering in large groups of up to 80 birds to roost for the night.
They have two distinct calls. In flight a harsh, screeching is repeated three or four times. While feeding they have a wailing cry or a mellow flute-like call.
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