10 Birds With Pink Feathers | Birds Advice
Pink is a fascinating color that always grabs people’s attention. But, pink birds can be much more splendid than what you’re thinking about. Both experienced and amateur birders really love them in their backyard.
So, what birds have pink feathers? The most common pink-feathered birds are American flamingos, roseate spoonbills, greater flamingos, Chilean flamingos, pink robins, major-Mitchell’s cockatoos, rose-breasted cockatoos, brown-capped rosy-finches, pink-headed fruit doves, Bourke’s parakeets, and more.
Do you want to know about these beautiful birds? Here we’re going to talk about these birds, including their distribution, habitat, identification, diet, and more. Once you finished reading this, we suggest taking a quick look at some yellow-feathered birds.
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Birds With Pink Feathers
1. American Flamingo
- Scientific Name – Phoenicopterus ruber
- Body Length – 120 to 145 cm (47 to 57 in)
- Weight – 5 to 6 lbs. (2.2 to 2.8 kg)
- Wingspan – 95 to 150 cm (37 to 59 in)
- Lifespan – 40 to 60 years
#Distribution and Habitat
American flamingos are most recognized in the Caribbean Sea, such as Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, Netherlands Antilles, Bahamas, and Hispaniola. These birds are usually found in the saline lagoons, mudflats, shallows of salt or brackish water, or alkaline lake areas.
#Identification
You can recognize American flamingos instantly to see their pink color, large bill, long necks, and stilt-like legs. Their plumage is pink or pinkish-orange overall with the brightest color on the head, chest, neck, and tail. The eyes are yellow, and the underparts are pale pink.
#Diet
American flamingos mainly eat shrimps, brines, mollusks, marine worms, insects, and blue-green and red algae. These birds also feed on small fish, insect larva, and invertebrates. Besides, they prefer tiny animals and plants as delicious meals.
2. Roseate Spoonbill
- Scientific Name – Platalea ajaja
- Body Length – 71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in)
- Weight – 2.6 to 4.0 lbs. (1.2 to 1.8 kg)
- Wingspan – 120 to 133 cm (47 to 52 in)
- Lifespan – 10 years
#Distribution and Habitat
In summer, roseate spoonbills are readily available in Texas. However, in winter, these birds migrate to Mexico. They are also found in Florida, southwest of western Mexico, and Cuba. They live in mangrove keys, mudflats, lagoons, coastal marshes, and tidal ponds.
#Identification
The bills, legs, and neck of roseate spoonbills appear extended. Along with a white neck, these birds have deep pink breasts and back. However, their bills are grey. Most importantly, both genders have no significant sexual dimorphism.
#Diet
Roseate spoonbills mainly feed on aquatic invertebrates and small fish, including killifish, minnows, shrimps, crabs, crayfish, mollusks, slugs, aquatic insects, and beetles. They also consume a few plant materials with roots and stems of sedges.
3. Greater Flamingo
- Scientific Name – Phoenicopterus roseus
- Body Length – 91 to 127 cm (36 to 50 in)
- Weight – 8.75 lbs. (4 kg)
- Wingspan – 140 to 150 cm (55 to 60 in)
- Lifespan – 30 to 40 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Greater flamingos are common in southern Europe, some parts of Africa, and southern Asia. These birds are usually found in Lebanon, Palestine, Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Qatar, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Turkey, and the UAE. They mainly inhabit warm, saline, or alkaline lakes.
#Identification
Having pinkish-white plumage overall, greater flamingos have red wing coverts. However, their elementary and secondary flight feathers are black. The legs are bright pink, but their bills are light pink with a restricted black tip.
#Diet
Greater flamingos are mainly carnivores, which means these birds don’t eat plant matter. Indeed, these birds feed on worms, crabs, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, and other aquatic invertebrates.
4. Chilean Flamingo
- Scientific Name – Phoenicopterus chilensis
- Body Length – 110 to 130 cm (43 to 51 in)
- Weight – 5.07 lbs. (2.3 kg)
- Wingspan – 127 to 152 cm (50 to 60 in)
- Lifespan – 50 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Chilean flamingos are native to South America, including Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and east Brazil. Furthermore, these birds can be seen in Germany and the Netherlands. They inhabit warm and tropical environments, shallow brackish, muddy & alkaline lakes.
#Identification
Like other flamingo species, adult Chilean flamingos have smaller heads and longer necks compared to their body size. These birds feature pale yellow irises, linear nostrils, bare faces, and three webbed front toes that help support them in mud.
#Diet
Chilean flamingos are mainly carnivores, meaning they eat aquatic invertebrates, larvae, pupal forms of flies, and other insects. In addition, these birds always look for their diet in mudflats, estuaries, lagoons, and salt lakes.
5. Pink Robin
- Scientific Name – Petroica rodinogaster
- Body Length – 13.5 cm (5.5 in)
- Weight – 0.01 to 0.02 lbs. (9 to 11 g)
- Wingspan – 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5 in)
- Lifespan – 5 to 6 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Pink robins are readily available in southern Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and Tasmania. These birds are most common in open and drier habitats in winter. Besides, they inhabit the end of moss-covered branches of trees or shrubs.
#Identification
In appearance, pink robins are brownish-black above with a dark throat and head. On the other hand, they feature pink below. Adult females, however, come up with a warm olive-brown above. Both females and immature males have diagnostic buff wing patches.
#Diet
Pink robins are insectivores, meaning they feed on insects. The most common insects pink robins eat are small spiders, beetles, wasps, flies, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars. They catch their prey in mid-air most of the time.
6. Major-Mitchell’s Cockatoo
- Scientific Name – Lophochroa leadbeateri
- Body Length – 35 to 40 cm (13.77 to 15.74 in)
- Weight – 0.66 to 1 lbs. (300 to 450 g)
- Wingspan – 81 cm (32 in)
- Lifespan – 60 to 83 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Major-Mitchell’s cockatoos are mainly out there in New South Wales, southern Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney, and south to north-west Victoria. These birds inhabit dry woodlands, particularly mallee, semi-arid, and arid areas.
#Identification
In appearance, major-Mitchell’s cockatoos feature pink on the sides of their head, neck, and wings. These birds have white, salmon-pink plumage. Their crest has red and yellow plumage. Males are bigger than females, but females have brighter red eyes.
#Diet
Major-Mitchell’s cockatoos are omnivorous, meaning they can eat both plants and animals. These birds mainly consume grass seeds, insect larvae, and a wide range of foods, such as herbaceous plants, fruits, berries, and more.
7. Rose-Breasted Cockatoo
- Scientific Name – Eolophus roseicapilla
- Body Length – 35 to 36 cm (13.6 to 14 in)
- Weight – 0.68 to 0.93 lbs. (308 to 421 g)
- Wingspan – 35 cm (14 in)
- Lifespan – 25 to 40 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Rose-breasted cockatoos, also known as galah cockatoos, are usually found throughout Australia, including Tasmania, Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne. These birds inhabit open or semi-open areas, arid zones, and scattered trees.
#Identification
Rose-breasted cockatoos have a pale to mid-grey back, a lighter pink crest, and pink throughout the breast. Once exited or alarmed, their erectile crest raises immediately. However, their crest is hardly visible while flying.
#Diet
Typically, rose-breasted cockatoos feed on various seeds, nuts, and fruits, including durian, papaya, langsat, and rambutan. These birds also consume corns and large insects, such as crickets. In addition, they also eat fresh vegetables and branches with leaves.
8. Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch
- Scientific Name – Leucosticte australis
- Body Length – 14 to 17 cm (5.7 to 6.5 in)
- Weight – 0.05 lbs. (26 g)
- Wingspan – 33.02 cm (13 in)
- Lifespan – 4 to 5 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Inhabiting the alpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains, brown-capped rosy-finches are easiest to find in winter when they come down in search of seeds. These birds are also found from Wyoming south to New Mexico.
#Identification
In appearance, brown-capped rosy-finches are small songbirds, featuring a conical bill, a shorter tail, and rather longer wings. During the breeding season, adult males have pinkish feathers below and brilliant brown plumage above with a charcoal-grey cap and tail.
#Diet
Brown-capped rosy-finches feed on a variety of seeds, such as millet, nyjer, canary, and black-oil sunflower. Being ground feeders, these birds also consume windblown insects, popping up into the air. They usually feed in large flocks in winter but small flocks in summer.
9. Pink-Headed Fruit Dove
- Scientific name – Ptilinopus porphyreus
- Body length – 29 cm (11.41 in)
- Weight – 1 lb. (42 g)
- Wingspan – 35.56 cm (14 in)
- Lifespan – 4 to 12 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Pink-headed fruit doves are readily available in Indonesia, especially in the mountain forests of Sumatra, Java, and Bali. In addition, these birds are also found in South Africa, India, and Germany. They live in fruit trees, forest edges, and open and semi-open areas.
#Identification
Pink-headed fruit doves have a purple-pink head, neck, and throat. Most importantly, males are brighter than females. Both genders come up with green underparts. Along with having small, yellow bills, they feature bright red legs.
#Diet
As the name suggests, pink-headed fruit doves mainly feed on fruits (mostly figs) and berries. The most common fruits they consume are apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes. Besides, they can eat corn, black-eyed peas, carrots, and beets.
10. Bourke’s Parakeet
- Scientific Name – Neopsephotus bourkii
- Body Length – 18 to 23 cm (7 to 9 in)
- Weight – 1 lb. (45.35 g)
- Wingspan – 30.48 cm (12 in)
- Lifespan – 5 to 8 years
#Distribution and Habitat
Like rose-breasted and major-Mitchell’s cockatoos, Bourke’s parrots are available throughout Australia, especially in the Southwestern parts of Queensland and western New South Wales. They are common in eucalyptus woodlands, dry plains, shrubs, and urban areas.
#Identification
In appearance, Bourke’s parrots are small, featuring mostly grey-brown above and pinkish below. Adult females, however, come with duller plumage. These birds also have a prominent white around the irises. Besides, adult males have a bluish forehead.
#Diet
Bourke’s parrots feed on a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, bananas, carrots, and dark leafy veggies. Apart from that, these birds eat various seeds, including black oil sunflower, pellets, and sprouted seeds.
Final Words
These pink birds can inevitably be your friends if you provide them with delicious treats. Install multiple feeders with seeds and fruits in your backyard. Hopefully, these birds will warmly receive your hospitality and come back again and again to you.
However, we hope you have learned a lot about what birds feature pink plumage. If you have ever encountered such a bird in your backyard, what was your experience? Comment down below. Here are our social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest.
Image Credit:
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- Wikimedia Commons
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