The lovely Eclectus Parrot is available in a few varieties; one of these is the striking Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrot! These incredible birds have vastly different and very beautiful coloration between one sex and the other, in addition to amazing personalities!

In the wild, Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots nest high in the forest canopy. In captivity, they tend to do well when kept in pairs. In the wild, pairs will usually dominate a group, with other parrots in the group helping the dominant pair to raise their young. Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots kept in captivity may be fed plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables along with a good basic pellet diet or seed mix. The majority of the seeds should be soaked to make them softer for the parrots. Plenty of branches or wood should be provided for your Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots to chew. When kept outdoors, a four and a half-meter by one and a fifth meter by two-meter aviary in a sheltered area, will suffice for a pair. These birds are quite loud, but they can make good pets for people who will tolerate the noise. Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots can be taught to imitate noises and talk quite well. Generally, hand raised parrots make much better, healthier pets than wild-caught birds.

At maturity, Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots reach about 37 centimeters in length. The feathering of Eclectus Parrots has a strange texture, and has been described as "hair-like". Male Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots have light yellow-green feathering over the majority of their bodies. Their primary wing coverts and primary flight feathers are a dark blue color, edged in green. The upper side of the Aru Red Sided Eclectus male's tail is green and the tips of the feathers have yellow edging. The underside of the tail is black, edged with a broad band of pale yellow. These edges are quite well defined. The iris is a reddish orange color. Female Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots have light red plumage with dark blue under wing coverts. They also have a band running to the nape that is dark blue. Females have dark blue, green-edged primary coverts and primary flight feathers like the male, as well. The tips of their red tails have pale edging, and their irises are a light, yellow-white color.

Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots come from the Aru Islands, of course. This species is possibly a subspecies one of the most commonly kept species of Australian Eclectus Parrot in captivity, the Red Sided Eclectus. Gray first noted it in 1858. Eclectus Parrot pairs are often mistaken for two birds of different species, since their coloration is so vastly different!

Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots are often prone to feather plucking. To prevent this, allow the birds plenty of items to chew and try to prevent them from becoming bored. Stress, bullying, or climatic changes may also bring on feather plucking.

Eclectus Parrots have a longer digestive tract than any other parrot, and they need more fresh veggies and fruits than most parrots.

Generally, Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots breed year round. They reach sexual maturity between two and three years of age. When she is about to breed, the female Eclectus may become quite aggressive, even toward her handler. Before laying, the female will generally spend a lot of time fussing in her nest box to arrange it suitably. She will usually lay two eggs. Because female Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrots will often sit on their eggs awkwardly or forcefully and accidentally break them, a slanted or L shaped nesting box is recommended so the birds have room to position themselves better. The female Aru Red Sided Eclectus Parrot will incubate her eggs for about four weeks before they hatch. The fledglings will develop sexually dimorphic coloration by the time they are about 28 days old. Usually, they will leave the nest by 75 days of age.