The plumage in bright scarlet red (sometimes orange red or more or less deep pink; colouring depends on individuals, populations, season and food). Only the tips of the wings are black. The head, neck and under-parts are sometimes paler. In captivity the plumage generally looses its brightness and becomes paler. The naked skin parts in the face and the long, curved beak are pinkish to reddish. The beak sometimes becomes blackish to a variable extent, especially during the breeding season. The legs are also pinkish to reddish, with blackish brown nails.