12 Most Colorful Parrot Species in the World

Most bird lovers want to adopt colorful parrot that looks great in their houses. But just deciding what bird color you want is not the right approach you should take. Many times different parrot species have different temperaments. 

Some require more attention than others. This is why in this guide, you would not only know to get to know the 12 most colorful parrot breeds. But also if they are good pets for you.

1. Eclectus

Latin name: Eclectus roratus
Habitat: Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Sumba, North-Eastern Australia, and the Moluccas
Color palette: Bright emerald green (male) and bright red, blue/purple (female)
Length: 14 inches
Weight: 15.5 Oz
Wingspan: 890 mm (female) and 900 mm (male)

The Eclectus parrots are considered quite unusual because of their smaller tails. This parrot (male) looks similar to the most common green parrot bird at first sight. 

But the blue tail and a hint of orange make it appear exotic. Meanwhile, the female bird looks completely different from its bright red body and purple plumage.

Eclectus is a bird native to the Northeastern Australia, Solomon Islands, Sumba, and the islands near these places. Is getting Eclectus a good idea? Well, yes. 

Eclectus parrots are intelligent and have a peace-loving nature. They are good with children and are gentle. But do not constantly disturb Eclectus; they do not tolerate overwhelming activities.

2. Hyacinth Macaw

Latin name: Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
Habitat: Central and Eastern South America
Color palette: Blue
Length: 39.4 inches
Weight: 123 Oz
Wingspan: 4 feet 

Hyacinth Macaw has an entirely blue body and long tail. Even though the beak is black, it might appear bluish in the photos. It also has a yellow circle around the eyes and near the lower beak. 

Just like most of the other parrots in this list, the male and female look oddly similar. It is one of the biggest flying bird among all of the other parrot species. And it makes the bird unique and appealing. 

Not only its overall body is taller than other birds, but Hyacinth Macaw has a 1 m long wingspan. And due to this huge built the body of Hyacinth Macaw is also heavier. 

Hyacinth Macaw can be seen in central and eastern South America, but it is going extinct now. This specie is called “gentle giants” as well because they are good pets. But do not annoy them, it will not attack you but can act loud.

3. Sun Conure (Sun Parakeet)

Latin name: Aratinga solstitialis
Habitat: Northeastern South America
Color palette: Golden, orange, yellow, blue, and green
Length: 11.8 inches
Weight: 3.5 to 4.23 Oz
Wingspan: 18 inches 

Sun Conure is also known as Sun Parakeet in aviculture, is a rainbow in bird form. Their plumage is bright yellow, which gives the bird its name. The underside of the bird has a bright orange color and the face is orange-flushed as well. 

Both wings have golden and green feathers. Most of the tail is olive green, but it has blue and green around its border. 

Both the adult male and the female have a similar rainbow appearance. The Sun Parakeet are Northeastern South American native bright colored birds and easily found in that area. 

As a pet, sun conure is easy to be trained and is extremely cuddly. But be careful if provoked Sun Parakeet can bite the owner.

4. Rose-breasted Cockatoo

Latin name: Eolophus roseicapilla
Habitat: Mainland Australia
Color palette: Silver, grey, and pink
Length: 14 inches
Weight: 10 to 12 Oz
Wingspan: 29.53 inches 

Rose-breasted cockatoo is also widely known as Galah. It is native to mainland Australia and can be found in every part of the land. It is famous for its beautiful rose-colored body and grey wings. 

The head is lighter than the rest of the body; meanwhile, the claws are grey. Both the male and female Galah have the same colored feathers and are hard to distinguish. 

Pet owners and dealers differentiate between both genders by their eyes. Male Galah has a darker brown iris than its female companion.

They do not like to cuddle that much as the umbrella cockatoo. Nonetheless, the Rose-breasted cockatoo has a peace-loving and friendly nature. And this makes them a good option for pet birds.

5. Scarlet Macaw

Latin name: Ara macao
Habitat: Central and South America
Color palette: Red, yellow, blue, and green
Length: 35.1 inches
Weight: 35.3 Oz
Wingspan: 39.4 inches

Just like Sun Parakeet, Scarlet Macaw is also a rainbow bird. The top thing that makes it different and unique than other rainbow birds is its body weight and size. 

Scarlet macaw has almost 1 meter tall with an equally longer wingspan. As the name suggests, she is mostly red with yellow, blue, and green feathers in both wings. 

Another thing that makes this bird look different is the white blushed face and black and white beak. Scarlet Macaw is native to central and South America and can be seen in the evergreen tropical forest. 

As pets, scarlet macaw is an intelligent and friendly bird. The bird is confident but high maintenance and requires more time to be trained. But when trained well, it can develop a vocabulary of 10 words.

6. Dusky Lory

Latin name: Pseudeos fuscata
Habitat:  Yapen, Salawati, Islands of Batanta, and New Guinea
Color palette: Dusky orange, red, and brown
Length: 10 inches
Weight: 10.5 Oz
Wingspan:  Not specified

The dusky lorry is also named as Dusky Orange Lory, White-rumped lorry or simply duskies. Most of its body I darker brown, but it has dusky orange underparts and neck. 

The wings can have dusky orange or yellow feathers and the beak is usually orange. The male and female have similar appearances and the same building. 

This specie is found in the offshore islands of Batanta and New Guinea or the areas around those locations. Duskies are confident and high energy birds. 

It not only gives the owner attention but also demands the same attention and reward in return. This makes the white-rumped a high maintenance bird that is only suited for well-financed pet owners.

7. Rosella

Latin name: Platycercus
Habitat: Australia
Color palette: Red, blue, yellow, and green
Length: 10.5 to 14.5 inches
Weight: 3.5 to 4.23 Oz
Wingspan: 17.3 to 20.8 inches 

Rosella is an umbrella term and has many different parrot types in the family. The most common one is a multicolored bird; it is a parrot but has the shape like a sparrow. 

The main distinctive feature about Rosella birds is their tail; it is broad and flat. This specie is the part of the “flat-tailed” parrot family and can be easily found in Australia. 

Both males and females from every type look similar. And the main color pallet of rosella is usually bright and consists of red, yellow, green, and blue.

Rosella birds are considered good pets because of their colorful appearance and calm nature. These colorful parrots are not high maintenance, but they do require to be hand-trained.

8. Rainbow Lorikeet

Latin name: Trichoglossus moluccanus
Habitat: Australia
Color palette: Rainbow
Length: 10 to 12 inches
Weight: 2.6 to 5.5 Oz
Wingspan: 17.7 inches

Rainbow Lorikeet is one of the most colorful birds. Their head and underparts are blue, neck orange, beak red, and tail green. 

In short, the whole body is covered with colorful feathers. Both the male and female bodies look identical with the same color pattern. 

Rainbow Lorikeet is native to Australia and is common along Queensland to South Australia. They can be found in the coastal bushes, woodland areas, and rainforests of Australia.

Rainbow Lorikeet is a good pet if you want a playful companion. They are not high maintenance, but they do demand more time. This makes them good pets for people who have extra leisure hours.

9. Green-wing Macaw

Latin name: Ara chloropterus
Habitat: Northern and central South America
Color palette: Red, green, and blue
Length: 35 to 37 inches
Weight: 42.3 Oz
Wingspan: 41 to 49 inches

This green-winged macaw is mostly red but considered a multi-colored bird. People also consider this red parrot bird one of the largest flying birds with almost 1 m long body. 

Their wingspan is also the same as their length. Green-winged macaw lives in the woodlands, forests of northern and central South America.

The big white beak of the green-winged macaw looks dangerous. But just like Hyacinth Macaw, this bird is also gentle with its owner. 

The bird does not bite. But before adopting macaw, you should know they are high maintenance. They also love social interaction, so the owner needs to invest more time with them.

10. Lilac-crowned Amazon

Latin name: Amazona finschi
Habitat: Mexico
Color palette: Green, lilac, and maroon
Length: 13 to 14 inches
Weight: 10.58 Oz
Wingspan: 12 to 13.5 inches

The lilac crowned amazon is also known as “Finschi’s amazon.” At first glance, this green parrot bird looks like the common parrots. But its lilac crown and maroon forehead make it unique than other species of parrots. 

This parrot also has a splash of lilac on the neck as well. Lilac Crowned Amazon is native to the Pacific slopes of Mexico. 

These birds are neither huge like macaw and neither too small. As pets, Lilac Crowned Amazons can be great pets because of their longer lifespan. 

A healthy finschi’s Amazon can live up to 40 to 60 years. This parrot bird is energetic and friendly and low maintenance. They are not great talkers, but they do make noises.

11. Blue and Gold Macaw

Latin name: Ara ararauna
Habitat: South America
Color palette: Blue, gold, and green
Length: 31.89 to 35.8 inches
Weight: 35.27 Oz
Wingspan: 35 to 36 inches

Blue and gold or blue and yellow macaw are famous types of parrot present in South America. 

This bird is mostly blue on the plumage and has yellow (sometimes orange) underparts. The face is almost white but darker near the neck and the crown area has a green gradient. 

This macaw is also bigger and bulkier like other macaw species. Blue and gold macaws are peace-loving and social parrots. They are intelligent and is easy to easily. 

You can also teach this bird to talk with the right amount of practice and patience. Just like most of the macaw, the blue and gold macaw is also high maintenance.

12. Bronze Winged Parrot

Latin name: Pionus chalcopterus
Habitat: north-Western South America
Color palette: Bronze, blue/purple, rose, and red
Length: 11 inches
Weight: 7.4 Oz
Wingspan: –

Unlike its name, these bronze winged birds are purple parrots. They have a hint of pink feathers in their wings and on the neck. 

The beak is yellow and pink feathers surround the eyes as well. Most of these purple parrots do have a splash of red on their body near the claws. 

Bronze-winged parrots have been seen in North-Western South America numerous times. Bronze-winged parrots have a reputation for being sensitive. 

But despite that, these parrots are good pets. This bird is on the smaller side, so it loves cuddling. Overall, bronze wings are not high maintenance; all they want is affection because of their nature.

The takeaway

Now that you know about these 12 colorful types of parrots and basic info choose the one that suits your lifestyle. Macaws usually live longer, so if you want a lifelong companion that can be the one. Other than that, all of the most colorful birds in this list are good options for pets.