Green is one of the most dominant parrot colors. It’s rare to find a parrot that’s completely green as other shades are usually mixed into the feathers, creating a colorful kaleidoscope that makes each bird unique.
Types of green parrots include budgies, lovebirds, Amazon parrots, and the male Eclectus.
Parrot feathers aren’t actually green. They appear so because of light waves that refract and bend, creating the illusion of green. Melanin also affects a parrot’s coloration.
Why Are Parrots Green in Color?
Green is one of the most common parrot colors.
Parrots only have red and yellow pigments, but they appear green because light hits the feather’s structures and reflects off them. Due to this light-scattering process, the illusion of green is created.
Journal of Experimental Biology explains that green feathers have spongy cells that reflect blue-green light. A blue-absorbing pigment that acts as a short wavelength filter restricts the wavelength range of the reflected light. This results in green feathers.
Similarly, Science Illustrated explains how melanin and feather structure also affect a parrot’s coloring. Melanin determines the lightness and darkness of a parrot’s feathers.
Carotenoids produce red, yellow, and orange feathers. Parrots and other birds get them from eating plants. When the pigments combine with melanin, a broader spectrum of colors is produced, including the various green shades seen on parrots.
Green Parrot Varieties
Parrots are some of the most colorful creatures, and many of them have vivid green feathers. They’re rarely green all over but have blue, yellow, and red flashes alongside a predominantly green plumage.
Many are only found in the wild, as their small numbers make them unsuitable as captivity animals. However, if you’re wondering, “are green parrots good pets?” we’ve got that covered.
Quaker Parrot
The quaker parrot is also known as the quaker parakeet, monk parrot, and monk parakeet. The scientific name is Myiopsitta monachus.
Quaker parrots are native to South America. Adult parrots are bright green on the head, wings, and back. Their breast, cheeks, and throat are gray, while their flight feathers are blue. The underside of their tails is light green.
Quaker parrots get their name because the gray section on the front of their neck looks like an old-fashioned Quaker bib.
Quaker parrots are illegal in several states, but they make great pets. They’re active and need lots of attention but respond well to interaction and games.
While they’re only 12 inches long, they have a larger-than-life personality and love to chatter with their owners and kin.
Amazon Parrot
Amazon parrots are one of the most popular green pet birds. Most have a bright green body with distinct markings on their head and forehead. The feathers range in color and differ depending on the species.
Amazons enjoy being the center of attention. They’re playful and curious, so they love spending time with their owners outside their cage. However, if not appropriately trained, they can become aggressive and nip at fingers.
Unfortunately, Amazon parrots are threatened because of the pet trade. The capture of wild parrots is illegal. Therefore, you can only find them from reputable breeders, which has pushed the price up in recent years.
Military Macaw
Military macaws are green all over. They’re brighter on the top of the head, with olive-green feathers on the body. They also have light blue and yellow flight and tail feathers. There’s usually a bright red flash of color above their beak.
The parrot is native to Mexico and South America and is close to extinction. They’re famed for their good nature and even temperament.
Military macaws are easy to train and love to learn new tricks. They don’t like being left on their own for too long, though, and can become nippy and aggressive. They also pick up on their owners’ mood and reflect it on them, so be careful how you act around them.
Lovebird
Lovebirds are one of the smallest parrot species. They have short, blunt feathers and a stocky build. They’re also primarily green with various other colors on the upper body.
Lovebirds are commonly known as pocket parrots. As their name suggests, they’re charming and lovable, but they also have a playful side. They form deep bonds with their owners and, if nurtured, can be cuddly pets. This is what makes them so popular.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, lovebirds mate for life and pine for each other. Despite this, you don’t need to have a pair, but they sometimes do better in captivity with a friend.
Senegal Parrot
Senegal parrots are native to western Africa and dwell in woodlands. They breed well in captivity and are fun, entertaining pets.
They have a green chest and wings and a gray head. They also have a red, orange, or yellow V-shaped patch on their bellies.
Senegal parrots are calm and collected. They’re quieter than most parrots, but these parrots can talk and mimic their human owners.
They do well in small spaces because of their size and make good pets for people living in apartments and small houses. And because they don’t make as much noise, they won’t bother the neighbors.
Maroon-Bellied Conure
Maroon-bellied conures are popular parrots. Green is the dominant color, which is darker on the wings and back. The belly is a lighter green. Underneath the tail, the feathers are a mesmerizing mix of blue, purple, and crimson. The lower abdomen usually features two parallel patches that are a soft crimson color.
The maroon-bellied conure is one of the quietest parrot breeds. They’re also one of the friendliest. They love exploring small nooks and crannies and enjoy being outside of their cage to roam and wander.
As they’re only small, they can get lost and hide in small gaps, so they need monitoring whenever they’re out of their pen.
Budgerigar
Budgies are one of the most common and popular parrots to keep as pets. They’re only small and have short lifespans, so they make great starter birds. They’re also easy to train.
Green is the only natural color for budgies. They also have flashes of yellow on their heads and bodies. Blue, white, and other colored budgies are specifically bred for the pet trade and can’t be found in the wild.
While small, budgies pick up on words and phrases easily and can even use them in context. They’re also inexpensive to keep, making them ideal for families with children.
Great Green Macaw
Great green macaws have lime-green feathers and a red forehead. They also have pale blue feathers around the lower back and upper tail. The rest of the tail is a brown-red color with a soft blue tip.
Great green macaws are rarely seen as pets. They’re sometimes bred in captivity, but they’re expensive as they’re one of the least common parrots seen outside the wild. They are typically seen flying in pairs or small groups of up to eight parrots.
They’re also noisy birds that can be heard from far away. As a result, they shouldn’t be kept in homes with thin walls or close neighbors.
Red-Shouldered Macaw
Also known as Hahn’s macaws, red-shouldered macaws are small and compact. They’re one of the littlest macaw parrots and are one of the most popular, too.
They’re mostly bright green with many turquoise or aqua feathers on the top of their head. They get their name from the bright red feathers found underneath their wings.
Red-shouldered macaws make strong bonds with their owners. They’re spirited birds with lots of personality and love to learn new tricks to keep everyone entertained.
While they’re small, they’re loud and are prone to bouts of high-pitched screaming.
Little Lorikeet
Little lorikeets are mostly green in color with a striking red face that’s lovingly called its mask. Some have yellow feathers on their shoulders, back of the neck, and towards the tail.
They’re sweet and affectionate birds that enjoy interacting with their owners. They can learn tricks but are prone to escaping their cage, which is made even easier by their small stature.
When placed in a cage with other birds, especially other little lorikeets, they can become territorial and jealous.
They’re also noisy birds with a shrill, high-pitched tone that some owners can’t bear. They talk well and mimic some words and phrases.
Indian Ringneck Parakeet
The Indian ringneck parakeet is bright lime green with yellow feathers underneath the wings. They sometimes also have blue tail feathers.
Male Indian redneck parakeets have red beaks, black markings on the face, and coloring around the neck. Females lack these traits.
Indian ringneck parakeets can be a bit aggressive and nippy, but it’s because they get bored quickly. They need lots of toys and puzzles to play with to keep them entertained. Without enough attention, they tend to chew things and become destructive.
However, they can be sweet and charming pets with the right training and form strong bonds with their owners.
Male Eclectus Parrot
The male Eclectus parrot is a bright emerald green color with red and blue feathers underneath its wings. They differ from females, who are mostly bright red. Their feathers are fuzzy, fluffy, and appear soft to touch.
Eclectus parrots are fun pets who get on well with children. They’re loving and gentle, but loud noises can upset them.
As relatively large birds, they need lots of space, particularly as they enjoy being active. If you are lucky enough to acquire one, make sure you offer your parrot plenty of opportunity to roam outside its cage.
Pacific Parrotlet
Pacific parrotlets are the smallest parrots, reaching only 4.5 – 5.5 inches in length. They live in tropical rainforests in Central and South America.
Most Pacific parrotlets are bright green. Unlike females, males parrotlets have bright blue splashes on their backs and behind their eyes. Some color mutations can occur, ranging from blue and albino and many other shades in-between.
While only small, Pacific parrotlets are high-maintenance. To make them tame, they require daily handling. They’re good at keeping themselves occupied, but they don’t like being on their own for too long. They’re also prone to accidents and injuries if they’re not watched when they’re out of their cage.
Painted Parakeet
The painted parakeet is also known as the painted conure. It’s mostly green, with a maroon-red belly and tail tip and patches of blue on the head and throughout the body. They also have a signature scaly breast that looks reptilian.
They’re rarely seen in captivity, but painted parakeets are quiet and sweet-natured. They also have lots of energy and love to play games. As active birds, they require a large cage that allows them to move around.
They also enjoy bathing, which is something that can be incorporated into the parrot’s weekly routine.
Red-Fronted Macaw
Red-fronted macaws are green parrots with red patches on the head, ears, and wing’s bend. They’re native to the east-Andean slopes of south-central Bolivia.
In the wild, red-fronted macaws are threatened by habitat destruction, illegal trapping for the pet trade, and firewood cutting. Overgrazing by goats has also depleted the parrot’s food source.
If you’re looking to get a red-fronted macaw as a pet, make sure it’s been appropriately bred through a reputable breeding program and that it hasn’t been captured from the wild.
That being said, they’re tough to find as pets and are most commonly found in zoos as part of a conservation program.
Green-Cheeked Conure
The green-cheeked conure boasts a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors. Their feathers come in various green shades on their backs, wings, chest, neck, and cheeks. They also have red, white, and blue patches, making them a genuinely stunning parrot breed.
Green-cheeked conures enjoy spending time with their owners. They’re easy-going and are affectionate when handled from an early age.
They’re also quiet birds, which suits pet owners in apartments or terraced houses. However, most never talk. They’re quick and easy to train, though, so focus on showing your green-cheeked conure how to do tricks.
Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet
The scaly-breasted lorikeet hails from eastern Australia and makes its home in woodland. They have a mix of yellow and bright green feathers that combine to look like scales, hence the name. The crown and sides of the head are bright green, tinged with blue.
Scaly-breasted lorikeets require a high-moisture diet. As a result, their feces are often watery and messy. Frequent cleaning is needed to prevent bacterial infections, so they’re high-maintenance birds.
Scaly-breasted lorikeets can be aggressive and don’t cope well in aviaries with lots of birds. To combat this, keep them in single pairs.
Australian Ringneck Parrot
Australian ringneck parrots are almost entirely green with a thick yellow band around the neck. There are four subspecies of Australian ringneck. All of them are green with varying levels of yellow, red, and turquoise in the plumage.
They’re mostly found in pairs or small groups in open woodlands or areas where many trees are present.
They’re intelligent birds and, with proper handling, can become tame and affectionate. They learn tricks quickly and enjoy performing.
However, they need lots of toys to keep them stimulated, especially ones they can chew. Opt for wooden toys to distract them from destructive behaviors.
Spectacled Parrotlet
Spectacled parrotlets have all-over green feathers that get lighter towards the tail. They have blue circles around the eyes and rose beaks and feet.
Spectacled parrotlets are only 5 inches tall, making them one of the smallest parrot breeds. As a result, they’re affectionately known as pocket parrots.
They also make good beginner pets because they’re quiet and easy to care for. They’re healthy birds that don’t suffer from too many health conditions.
They can learn simple tricks, but most people love them because they burrow in blankets and cuddle into their owners.
Thick-Billed Parrot
Thick-billed parrots are apple green in color, which helps them blend in with pine needles found in their natural habitat in northern Mexico.
They have a bright red stripe at the top of the wing and around the leg. There’s a flash of yellow underneath the wing, while the tail’s underside is jet black.
Thick-billed parrots adopt a strict pecking order in the wild. They’re close to extinction due to climate change, predation from hawks, and the illegal pet trade. As a result, you’re more likely to find thick-billed parrots in zoos.
Short-Tailed Parrot
Found along the banks of the Amazon river, short-tailed parrots are one of the noisiest parrot species.
They’re medium-sized birds with uniform bright green feathers and a short, stubby tail. The feathers are a lighter green color around the wings.
They fly in large groups of around 50 birds. Short-tailed parrots are also social birds and will associate with other birds within their natural habitat. They’re rare in captivity, so you’ll be lucky to find one as a pet.
Scarlet-Shouldered Parrotlet
Also known as the red-winged parrot, scarlet-shouldered parrotlets are green with brown and yellow tones on the head and forehead.
They have a blue and red shoulder, which is sometimes hidden from view but can be seen when the bird is in flight.
Scarlet-shouldered parrotlets live in rainforests and partially deforested woodland areas. They’re quiet and shy birds that often appear out of nowhere in trees.
They’re another rare bird, so they’re not common pet parrots. In recent years, they’ve been affected by deforestation and loss of habitat, which has caused their numbers to dwindle significantly.
Edward’s Fig Parrot
The Edward’s fig parrot is native to Indonesia and north-eastern New Guinea. It lives in tropical forest areas and moist hill forests.
Edwards fig parrots are relatively small, green parrots with blue and yellow patches. They have a greenish-blue flash under their eyes and a violet-blue horizontal stripe on the chest. Males have a red breast, which starts to appear when the bird is ten months old. Females don’t have this.
Edward’s fig parrots are rarely seen in the pet trade. However, they make lovely parents and, when hand-reared, become loving and affectionate.
Blue-Bellied Parrot
Blue-bellied parrots live in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. They have long tails, bright green feathers, and a white beak. Males have a blue-purple patch on their bellies, which gives the breed its name. Females are entirely green all over.
Sadly, the species is near-threatened due to habitat loss and capture for the illegal pet trade. Therefore, you’re unlikely to see reputably sourced blue-bellied parrots as pets.
Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot
The Sri Lanka hanging parrot is a small bird with a short, stubby tail and bright green feathers. The nape and back both have a soft orange tint. Both males and females have a red bill and rump, but males have an additional red crown.
They usually live alone or in small groups when outside of the breeding season. They have a recognizable whistle and fly fast, zipping directly to their destination.
Unfortunately, Sri Lanka hanging parrots make easy prey for larger predator birds because of their size, which has affected their numbers in the wild.
How Much Do Green Parrots Cost?
If you’re looking to make a green parrot a new pet, you’re probably wondering how much it’s going to cost you.
Some green parrots, including the blue-bellied military macaw, and thick-billed parrot, are on the brink of extinction and are almost impossible to get hold of due to conservation efforts.
However, many other green parrots make fun and affectionate pets. To help you budget the cost of buying one, we’ve ordered the most common green parrots from the lowest price to the highest.
| Parrot Species | Average Cost |
| Great Green Macaw | $3,000 – $4,000 |
| Amazon Parrot | $1,000 – $3,000 (depending on the breed) |
| Male Eclectus Parrot | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Military Macaw | $2,500 |
| Red-Shouldered Macaw | $800 – $2,000 |
| Red-Fronted Macaw | $1,500 |
| Indian Ringneck Parakeet | $400 – $700 |
| Little Lorikeet | $400 – $700 |
| Quaker Parakeet | $250 – $550 |
| Australian Ringneck Parrot | $400 – $500 |
| Spectacled Parrotlet | $300 – $500 |
| Senegal Parrot | $200 – $500 |
| Green-Cheeked Conure | $150 – $350 |
| Pacific Parrotlet | $100 – $350 |
| Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet | $150 – $300 |
| Maroon-Bellied Conure | $125 – $250 |
| Lovebird | $40 – $130 |
| Painted Parakeet | $40 – $70 |
| Budgerigar | $10 – $35 |
How Many Years Do Green Parrots Live?
The average life expectancy of parrots varies greatly depending on the breed.
Smaller parrots tend to have a shorter lifespan, whereas large parrots can live for 60 years and more. As a result, some species outlive their owners.
Before choosing your parrot, consider how long you’re able to commit to a pet. When you have a parrot, it relies on you for the duration of its life. And in that time, specialized care is needed. The expected lifespan of the most common green parrot species are as follows:
| Parrot Species | Expected Lifespan (in years) |
| Red-Fronted Parrot | 80 |
| Military Macaw | 60 |
| Great Green Macaw | 50 – 60 |
| Amazon Parrot | 50 |
| Male Eclectus Parrot | 30 – 50 |
| Red-shouldered Macaw | 30 – 50 |
| Maroon-Bellied Conure | 35 |
| Green-Cheeked Conure | 30 |
| Thick Billed Parrot | 30 |
| Senegal Parrot | 30 |
| Indian Ringneck Parakeet | 20 – 30 |
| Spectacled Parrotlet | 20 – 30 |
| Short-Tailed Parrot | 10 – 30 |
| Scarlet-Shouldered Parrotlet | 25 |
| Quaker Parakeet | 20 – 30 |
| Little Lorikeet | 15 – 20 |
| Pacific Parrotlet | 15 – 20 |
| Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet | 15 – 20 |
| Australian Ringneck Parrot | 15 |
| Edward’s Fig Parrot | 15 |
| Lovebird | 10 – 15 |
| Painted Parakeet | 5 – 14 |
| Blue-Bellied Parrot | 12 |
| Budgerigar | 5 – 10 |
| Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot | Unknown |
While striking, not all green parrots are suitable as pets. Don’t just base your decision on the way the bird looks. Use our guide to find out more about their personality and temperament, and choose one that will fit your family, lifestyle, and household.
