Red is rare in parrots, but several are out there, including lories, rosellas, and cockatoos, with varying shades of the color. However, the first bird whose name comes to mind when discussing red parrots is the Scarlet Macaw. Interestingly, not every red parrot displays this color across its entire species, as the female Eclectus parrot is bright red as opposed to its male counterpart, which is primarily green.
If a parrot with red plumage is brightly colored, it is often an indication of good health. These birds might also use their bright colors to attract a mate or intimidate potential competition like other parrots.
List of Red Parrots
- African Gray Parrot
- Australian King Parrot
- Black-capped Lory
- Blue-eared Lory
- Black-winged Lory
- Blue-streaked Lory
- Cardinal Lory
- Chattering Lory
- Cherry-headed Conure
- Collared Lory
- Crimson Rosella
- Crimson Shining Parrot
- Duchess Lorikeet
- Fairy Lorikeet
- Female Eclectus Parrot
- Galah Cockatoo
- Golden-mantled Rosella
- Josephine’s Lorikeet
- Kuhl’s Lorikeet
- Maroon Shining Parrot
- Moluccan King Parrot
- Papuan King Parrot
- Papuan Lorikeet
- Pohnpei Lorikeet
- Purple-bellied Lory
- Purple-naped Lory
- Red-and-blue Lory
- Red-and-green Macaw
- Red Lory
- Rose-breasted Cockatoo
- Salmon-crested Cockatoo
- Scarlet Macaw
- Stella’s Lorikeet
- Stephen’s Lorikeet
- Violet-necked Lory
- Western Rosella
- Yellow-bibbed Lory
How Do Red Parrots Get Their Color
These parrots mainly use pigments called psittacofulvins to reflect light in such a pattern that they appear red. In addition to that, like many other birds, they consume foodstuffs with carotenoids that help them alter their color. Finally, the presence of melanin helps to decide how dark the color of their feathers will be.
FAQs
The Scarlet Macaw is not only the largest red-colored parrot but also the world’s largest parrot. This bird is around 33 inches long from beak to tail and weighs about 2 lbs.
While keeping a parrot with red plumage as a pet might be possible, several issues might crop up. It might be illegal to keep some of these birds in certain countries, parrots like the Scarlet and Red-and-green Macaws have long lifespans, so owning one requires a massive commitment, and birds like the Crimson Rosella are challenging to tame.
