Red plumage gives parrots, like lories, rosellas, and macaws, a beautiful appearance. However, since it is a relatively rare color, it is uncommon for parrots to be completely red. Instead, most red parrots have shades of green, yellow, blue, and other colors as well.
List of Different Red Parrots
Parrots With Mostly Red Plumage
Some parrots have predominantly red feathers, with most of their heads and bodies covered with a dominant red plumage. Out of these, many are kept as pets, including:
| Name | Length (in) | Weight (oz) | Where They Are From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Macaw | 30-32 | 32-39 | Central and South America |
| Red Lory | 10-12 | 1-11 | Indonesia |
| Cardinal Lory | 10-12 | 6-8 | Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands |
| Chattering Lory | 10-12 | 6-8 | North Maluku, Indonesia |
| Green-winged Macaw | 35-37 | 32-60 | Amazon Basin in South America |
| Moluccan Eclectus (Female) | 14-20 | 13-19 | Maluku Islands, Indonesia |
| Australian King Parrot | 15-17 | 6-10 | Eastern Australia, from Queensland to Victoria |
| Moluccan King Parrot | 12-14 | 5-6 | Peleng Island, Maluku, and West Papua, Indonesia |
Parrots With Partially Red Plumage
Here are some more parrots that have red plumage mixed with feathers of other colors, such as green, yellow, and blue:
| Name | Length (in) | Weight (oz) | Where They Are From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimson Rosella | 12-15 | 4-4.2 | Eastern Australia |
| Rose-breasted Cockatoo | 12-14 | 10-12 | Australia |
| Black-capped Lory | 10-12 | 7-9 | New Guinea |
| Collared Lory | 7-8 | 2-3 | Fiji |
| Blue-streaked Lory | 10-12 | 5-6 | Tanimbar and Babar Islands, Indonesia |
| Yellow-bibbed Lory | 10-11 | 4-6 | Southern Solomon Islands |
Other red parrots, such as the Duchess Lorikeet, Purple-naped Lory, and Josephine’s Lorikeet, have been excluded from the above lists as they are less commonly kept as pets.
How Do Red Parrots Get Their Color
The red color in parrot feathers is mainly due to pigments called psittacofulvins. Furthermore, like many other birds, they ingest foods containing carotenoids, which help alter their color. Finally, the presence of melanin helps to decide how dark the color of their feathers will be.
