Pink is not a common color in parrots. Most of the pink-colored parrot species are from the cockatoo family except one parakeet. However, there are a few other species that may not have complete pink plumage, but certain parts of their feathers are pink.
Nonetheless, it is rare to see the color pink in the parrot kingdom. In this article, we will cover the few pink parrot species found in the world and discuss their colors and other attributes.
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Pink Parrots Types
Here is a list of the 6 pink parrot species:
Bourke’s Parakeet
Bourke’s parakeets are small birds from Australia. It goes by a bunch of other names that describe its lovely pink plumage such as the pink-bellied parrot, rosey bourke, or sundown parrot.
These birds are especially popular among new parrot owners because of their mellow and quiet nature.
They make great apartment birds as they do not make much noise for most of the day. They may, however, chirp in the morning and in the evening.
Bourke’s parakeet is also an ideal family pet as they do not tend to lean towards one person like many other parrots do. So their company can be enjoyed by the whole family and they can bond with everyone.
The downside of having a light-colored plumage though is that they get dirty easily. But these birds do not love to bathe. They enjoy misting but do not like to get fully bathed very often.
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
The Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, also known as the Pink Cockatoo, is a medium-sized bird. It has a predominantly light-pink plumage with white wing feathers complemented by a long crest that is red, yellow, and white on the top.
The crest of the major Mitchell cockatoo is quite fascinating both visually and with regards to understanding their mood. The red and yellow in their crest blend in beautifully giving them a fiery look.
Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo has a reputation for being bossy and nippy at times. It is also a one-person bird, so you need to teach it how to tolerate people around you so that they don’t get bit.
These birds also have loud calls making them more suitable for the open outdoors and aviaries as opposed to in-house cages.
Galah
Compared to other pink-colored cockatoos, the Galah has a darker pink shade. It appears almost as if a diluted hue of red. The Galah, also referred to as the Rose-Breasted Cockatoo is another Australian parrot species.
Galah cockatoos have bright pink feathers on their breast and abdomen and dark grey wing feathers. They also have a short crest that appears faded pink on some individuals and white on others.
As pets, galahs are friendly and loving birds. They love attention and get along with everyone pretty well. Apart from the usual body language signs, galahs express themselves through their crests, which is endearing to watch.
They are very intelligent and talkative birds with a big personality. However, they are not suited for an apartment setting as they are very loud. The galah is not for novice bird owners because they demand a lot of attention and are quite high maintenance.
Moluccan Cockatoo
Famous for its gorgeous feathers, affectionate nature, and extremely loud calls, the Moluccan cockatoo is quite popular among bird fanciers.
It is also called the Salmon Crested Cockatoo because of its vibrant salmon pink crest. Their body feathers are usually pale pinkish or pinkish salmon.
The Moluccan cockatoo is not an easy bird to own though. It requires constant attention and mental stimulation from its owner otherwise it can get bored easily.
This often becomes a problem as they are vulnerable to getting depressed and neurotic from boredom and prone to feather plucking.
Little Corella
Little Corellas is a species of cockatoo that is found in Australia. While these birds have majorly white plumage, they have a patch of pink feathers surrounding their beak.
They also go by the other name, bare-eyed cockatoo because of the blue ring around their eyes.
These small cockatoos make excellent pets. Goofing around, they provide entertainment for everyone and love to interact. Corellas are great talkers, and highly intelligent, but they do make a bunch of noise.
Long-Billed Corella
Another species of the corella, the Long-Billed Corella is quite similar to the little corella in appearance.
They have mostly white plumage with reddish-pink face and forehead feathers and a pink band across the throat.
Long-billed corellas are intelligent, good talkers, and have the same goofy personality as other corellas.
They are less commonly seen pets in both Australia and the United States but are gaining popularity.
Why Is Pink Color Rare In Parrots?
There isn’t an abundance of pink color in the parrot kingdom and if we look closely, most of the birds that are pink are cockatoos. So it is clear that the color pink is rare in parrots. The reason why there are so few pink-colored parrots is because they do not naturally produce this pigment.
The pink plumage in parrots results from a reduced intensity of the red pigment, one of the primary pigments produced by parrots. Parrots produce their feather colors through a pigment called Psittacofulvins, which is synthesized locally inside their own bodies.
Psittacofulvins pigments mainly give rise to colors such as red, orange, and yellow. Other colors of parrots that we see are produced by the scattering of light and the interaction of pigments with it.
