Little Red Lorikeet

About the Little Red Lorikeet

The fairy lorikeet (Charmosynopsis pulchella) is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. Other common names include the little red lorikeet and the little red lory. Found in New Guinea, its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Its colouration is mainly red with some yellow on the throat and green on the wings. Two subspecies are recognised, C. p. pulchella and C. p. rothschildi.

The fairy lorikeet was formally described in 1859 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray under the binomial name Charmosyna pulchella. It was moved from the original genus Charmosyna to the resurrected genus Charmosynopsis following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study in 2020.

The fairy lorikeet grows to a length of about 18 cm (7 in) and weighs between 24 and 34 g (0.8 and 1.2 oz). The male of the nominate subspecies, C. p. pulchella, has the head, nape, breast and underparts red, the breast sometimes being streaked with yellow. The back of the crown has a purplish spot. The mantle, back and wings are dark green, as are the upper tail coverts. The upper side of the tail... Wikipedia →