Verd and Blaze are the same, but different. They are both Eclectus Parrots but the sexes look strikingly different. At one point naturalists thought they were entirely different species… even though they hung out all the time and mated 😆

The red hens have a strong maternal instinct and are always looking for suitable nesting places. Once they find one they guard them, never leaving. The green dude supplies a service by regurgitating food to win her heart.

Some think that the way they nest has something to do with why their colors are so different — the red female can hide well in a tree cavity but then can be easily seen when she pops out. The green male is camouflaged well when it’s foraging for the things he’ll throw up later into the beak of the female. Wonderful. Nature is amazing.