Sumba Eclectus - BirdForum Opus

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Eclectus cornelia

Identification

35–42 cm (13¾-16½ in) with male and female very different
Male

• Body bright green
• Flanks reddish
• Wings above with blackish-blue primaries, primary coverts and alula
• Wings below with blackish flight feathers, while underwing coverts are red, and this connects with red on flanks
• Tail upperside green centrally becoming increasingly blue towards the sides
• Tail underside blackish with yellow tips
• Lower mandible black, upper orange-red to yellowish
• Iris orange to yellow-orange

Female

• Red body and wings, darker on upperside and on undertail coverts
• Eye-ring inconspicuous, blue
• Wings with blackish-blue primaries and secondaries as well as small area at bend of wing, and deep blue underwing coverts
• Tail with narrow yellow or pink tips
• Bill black
• Iris whitish

Younger birds are less glossy but otherwise similar to adults of the same sex, however, iris brownish

Distribution

Sumba Island (Lesser Sundas)

Taxonomy

One of several species formerly included in Eclectus Parrot.

Subspecies

This is a monotypic species[1].

Habitat

A variety of forests and woodland between sea level and almost 1000 m asl, probably most numerous in lowland secondary forests. Needs large trees with hollows for breeding.

Behaviour

Feeds on fruits, nuts etc, found in woodlands.

Vocalisation

Calls described as having a crow like quality but also being very varied.

References

1. Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
3. Collar, N., G. M. Kirwan, P. F. D. Boesman, and A. Davidson-Onsgard (2024). Sumba Eclectus (Eclectus cornelia), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (N. D. Sly, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.eclpar2.01.1

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Sumba Eclectus. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sumba_Eclectus

External Links

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