Purple may be rare in the natural world, but for some birds, it’s a defining crown. From shimmering hummingbirds to exotic starlings, these species flaunt head feathers in hues ranging from lavender to deep violet. In this guide, we’ll explore 10 spectacular birds with purple heads that stand out in forests, jungles, and even city parks. Each one offers a glimpse into the dazzling palette of avian evolution.
1. Violet-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia violiceps)
Where It Lives
The Violet-crowned Hummingbird calls the arid landscapes of Mexico home, especially along the western and central highlands. However, its range stretches northward into the United States, where it can be spotted in pockets of the desert Southwest—most notably in southeastern Arizona and southern New Mexico. Here, it frequents riparian corridors lined with cottonwoods and willows, providing essential shelter and feeding grounds.
Head Color and Features
True to its name, this species displays a radiant violet crown that shimmers in direct sunlight like a polished gemstone. The iridescent purple hue rests atop a clean white face and throat, offering a striking contrast to the metallic emerald-green back and wings. Unlike many other hummingbirds that feature a colorful throat patch (gorget), this species stands out by placing the color show directly on its head—earning it its regal name.
Behavior and Habitat
Violet-crowned Hummingbirds thrive in semi-arid habitats, including desert scrub, dry woodlands, and even gardens and parks at higher elevations. Agile and fiercely territorial, they often perch in open view, surveying their nectar sources with confidence. Their primary diet consists of floral nectar, but they also supplement with small insects and spiders for protein. While feeding, their wings beat at astonishing speeds—creating the soft buzzing hum that makes hummingbirds so unmistakable. Despite their small size, they exhibit bold personalities, often chasing away much larger birds from their feeding zones. Males perform swift aerial chases during courtship, darting through the air with dazzling speed and agility.
Whether hovering near blooming agave or darting between mesquite trees, the Violet-crowned Hummingbird brings a flash of royal color to the desert. Its rare appearance in the U.S. makes it a favorite target for birdwatchers hoping to catch a glimpse of its glowing purple crown.
2. Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (Malurus coronatus)
Where It Lives
The Purple-crowned Fairy-wren is a jewel of Australia’s tropical north, found exclusively in a narrow stretch of habitat across the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the Victoria River District of the Northern Territory, and parts of northern Queensland. Unlike many other fairy-wren species that roam open scrub or grassland, this species is tightly bound to riparian zones—lush corridors of vegetation growing along rivers, creeks, and billabongs. Its dependence on dense pandanus and native grasses makes it especially vulnerable to habitat degradation.
Head Color and Features
Males become truly eye-catching during the breeding season, when their plumage transforms into a vivid celebration of color. A rich, velvety purple crown stretches across the top of the head, sharply contrasted by bright turquoise-blue cheeks, ear coverts, and upperparts. Their small black bill and dark eye mask enhance the dramatic head pattern, while the rest of the body is cloaked in shades of brown and buff. Outside of the breeding season, males molt into a more subdued, brownish form resembling females—making the seasonal transition all the more remarkable.
Behavior and Habitat
The Purple-crowned Fairy-wren is more than just a pretty face—it’s also one of the most socially complex songbirds in Australia. These wrens live in cooperative family groups, where older offspring often stay to help raise younger siblings, a rare behavior known as cooperative breeding. Their communication is rich and nuanced, involving soft trills, harsh warning calls, and a repertoire of songs used for bonding and territory defense.
Males are known for their lively courtship displays, in which they puff out their glowing purple crowns, fan their tails, and perform bouncing movements through the reeds and undergrowth. Unlike many other fairy-wrens that forage in open areas, this species stays well hidden in dense vegetation, foraging low to the ground for insects and spiders.
Because of its narrow habitat range and sensitivity to fire, grazing, and invasive species, the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren has become a focus of conservation efforts. Its vibrant crown may be small in size, but it carries with it a powerful message: when watercourses thrive, so does one of Australia’s most colorful and charismatic birds.
3. Violet-backed Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster)
Where It Lives
The Violet-backed Starling, also known as the Plum-colored Starling, is a dazzling resident of sub-Saharan Africa. Its range spans from Senegal and Ethiopia in the north to South Africa in the south. This species prefers open woodlands, dry savannas, and forest edges, often frequenting areas where fig trees and fruit-bearing plants thrive. It is a migratory bird in parts of its range, moving seasonally in response to food availability.
Head Color and Features
The adult male is nothing short of spectacular. His head, back, and wings shimmer with metallic violet—an iridescent color that changes subtly with the angle of light, giving him a jewel-like glow. The striking contrast between his vivid purple upperparts and pure white underparts makes him instantly recognizable, even from a distance. His short tail and pointed bill complete the sleek silhouette. In sharp contrast, the female wears a completely different wardrobe—brown and heavily streaked, an evolutionary adaptation for camouflage during nesting.
Behavior and Habitat
Violet-backed Starlings are agile fliers and are often seen flitting from tree to tree in pairs or loose flocks. They are omnivorous, feeding primarily on fruit, berries, and figs, but also hunting insects, especially during the breeding season when protein is vital for growing chicks. Their strong, slightly hooked beaks help them tear into fleshy fruits with ease.
They nest in tree cavities, sometimes using old woodpecker holes or natural crevices. The female handles incubation duties, while the more brightly colored male guards the territory and helps feed the chicks once they hatch. During courtship, males perform fluttering display flights and vocalize with short whistles and clicking sounds to attract mates.
Despite their vivid color, Violet-backed Starlings are surprisingly discreet when feeding, often staying hidden within the canopy. However, when sunlight hits their feathers just right, their gleaming plumage turns the treetops into a spectacle. Their duality—radiant beauty above and quiet, resourceful behavior in the forest—makes them a favorite among birdwatchers across Africa.
4. Purple-crested Turaco (Gallirex porphyreolophus)
Where It Lives
The Purple-crested Turaco is a spectacular sight in the lush landscapes of eastern and southern Africa. It ranges widely across countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and into the subtropical forests of eastern South Africa. These birds are typically found in riverine forests, woodland thickets, and dense evergreen areas, where fruiting trees provide both food and cover. In South Africa, it holds special status as the national bird of the KwaZulu-Natal province, celebrated for its exotic appearance and symbolic connection to the wild.
Head Color and Features
True to its name, the Purple-crested Turaco wears a crown like no other. Its tall, velvet-like crest is a deep, royal purple that fans out elegantly from the head, giving the bird a regal and unmistakable silhouette. This rich coloration contrasts beautifully with the emerald-green body, bluish wings, and bright crimson patches on the flight feathers—revealed only when the bird takes off in a surprising burst of color. Its eyes are surrounded by red eye-rings, giving the face an intense, almost mythical look.
Behavior and Habitat
Despite their showy appearance, Purple-crested Turacos are surprisingly stealthy in their movements. They are not strong fliers, preferring to move with agility through the canopy by leaping, running, and hopping from branch to branch. Their powerful feet and long tails help them balance and climb with ease, often gliding rather than flapping as they move between trees.
Frugivorous to the core, these birds feed almost exclusively on fruit, particularly figs and other soft tropical varieties. Their digestive systems are uniquely adapted to handle large quantities of fruit, and they play a vital role as seed dispersers in their ecosystems. Occasionally, they supplement their diet with leaves, flowers, or insects.
What truly sets the Purple-crested Turaco apart, aside from its appearance, is its voice. Their calls are loud, guttural, and often described as bark-like—echoing through the forest and giving away their location even when they’re hidden in dense foliage. These vocalizations play an important role in maintaining contact with family groups, which often consist of mated pairs and their offspring.
As dazzling as it is ecological important, the Purple-crested Turaco is a living emblem of African biodiversity. Its fusion of jewel-toned feathers, social intelligence, and forest-deep calls makes it not just a bird, but an ambassador of the treetops.
5. Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Parvipsitta porphyrocephala)
Where It Lives
The Purple-crowned Lorikeet is a dazzling native of southern Australia, with its range stretching across South Australia, southwestern Western Australia, and occasionally into parts of Victoria. It is typically found in coastal heathlands, dry eucalypt forests, and mallee scrublands—habitats rich in flowering trees. These lorikeets are nomadic in nature, moving with the seasonal bloom of nectar-producing plants, especially eucalypts and bottlebrushes.
Head Color and Features
This pint-sized parrot earns its name from a brilliant purple patch adorning the crown of its head, creating a vivid centerpiece to its multicolored face. The rest of the head is equally striking: sky-blue cheeks, a yellow-green throat, and fiery red-orange markings across the forehead and chest give it a confetti-like splash of color. The body is predominantly bright green, providing camouflage among leaves when it’s not darting through the air in bursts of electric motion. Its small size—barely 15 cm long—belies the intensity of its coloration.
Behavior and Habitat
Don’t let their delicate appearance fool you—Purple-crowned Lorikeets are high-energy, fast-flying acrobats of the treetops. They zip through flowering canopies with incredible agility, weaving between branches and leaves in search of nectar, pollen, and soft fruits. Their specialized brush-tipped tongues allow them to efficiently gather pollen from eucalyptus blossoms, which makes them important pollinators in their ecosystems.
Often heard before they are seen, these lorikeets produce a series of rapid, high-pitched screeches and trills that echo through the forest. They typically travel in small flocks, sometimes merging into larger groups when food sources are plentiful. During feeding, their constant chattering creates a chorus of cheerful chaos in flowering trees.
Breeding usually occurs in tree hollows during spring and summer. The female lays her eggs inside a chosen cavity, and both parents contribute to raising the chicks. Because of their dependence on mature eucalypt forests and hollow-bearing trees, habitat destruction poses a long-term threat to their populations.
A gem of southern Australia’s woodlands, the Purple-crowned Lorikeet is a living kaleidoscope—brilliant in flight, essential to forest health, and a delight for birdwatchers lucky enough to catch a glimpse of its shimmering head among the blooms.
6. Purple-naped Lory (Lorius domicella)
Where It Lives
The Purple-naped Lory is a dazzling parrot species found nowhere else but Indonesia, with its primary stronghold on the island of Seram in the Maluku archipelago. This island lies in the heart of the tropical zone, blanketed with rich lowland and hill rainforests that provide the perfect canopy-covered habitat for this brilliantly colored bird. It is most often observed in undisturbed forest areas at elevations ranging from sea level up to around 1,200 meters.
Head Color and Features
As its name suggests, the Purple-naped Lory features a bold splash of deep violet on the nape—the back of its neck—creating a royal-looking collar of color that sets it apart from other lories. The rest of the head is a fiery crimson, and this brilliant red continues down through the breast and upper belly. The contrast between the blood-red head and the purple nape gives the bird a dramatic, almost theatrical appearance. Green wings and back, accented by black highlights and yellow markings on the thighs, complete its kaleidoscopic look. The curved orange beak and striking orange-red eyes add intensity to its already flamboyant face.
Behavior and Habitat
Highly active and intensely vocal, the Purple-naped Lory is a quintessential parrot of the tropical rainforest canopy. It is usually encountered in pairs or small family groups, gliding through the treetops with swift, direct wingbeats. Their calls are loud, resonant, and rolling—often described as harsh or screeching—and can carry for long distances through the forest. These calls serve both to maintain contact with mates and to mark their presence to potential rivals.
This species is primarily frugivorous, feeding on soft fruits such as figs, berries, and mangoes. It also drinks nectar and may occasionally take blossoms. Its strong, curved bill is perfect for tearing into fruit flesh, while its agile feet and tongue help it manipulate and consume a wide variety of plant material.
Purple-naped Lories are cavity nesters, laying their eggs inside tree hollows. Because of this dependence on mature rainforest trees and the lory’s limited geographic range, habitat destruction is a major concern. Deforestation and illegal trapping for the exotic pet trade have placed the species under significant pressure. It is currently classified as Endangered by the IUCN.
Despite its rarity, the Purple-naped Lory remains one of the most stunning parrots of Southeast Asia—a living flame in the forest, crowned with the elegance of violet. For those lucky enough to observe one in the wild, it’s a sight not soon forgotten.
7. Purple Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus)
Where It Lives
The Purple Honeycreeper is a glittering gem of the Neotropics, found throughout the humid lowland forests of northern South America. Its range stretches from eastern Panama through Venezuela, Colombia, and the Guianas, deep into the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. These birds thrive in tropical rainforests, forest edges, secondary growth, and even shaded gardens—anywhere flowering trees and fruiting plants flourish. While most commonly seen in the Amazon Basin, they also venture into foothills and low mountain forests up to 1,200 meters in elevation.
Head Color and Features
The adult male Purple Honeycreeper is a dazzling display of color, with plumage that glows in varying shades of blue and purple. From a distance, he may appear almost entirely blue, but up close, subtle shifts in hue reveal a deeper, violet-tinged crown and head, especially under sunlight. This royal coloring contrasts with his jet-black wings and a pair of bright yellow legs that seem to flash like tiny torches among the leaves. The female, by contrast, is olive green above with streaked yellow underparts—an adaptation for camouflage while nesting. The male’s long, decurved bill is both elegant and functional, perfectly shaped for reaching into tubular flowers.
Behavior and Habitat
Agile and constantly active, Purple Honeycreepers spend most of their time high in the canopy, darting from branch to branch in search of nectar, fruit, and small insects. Despite their name, they are not true honeycreepers, but part of the tanager family (Thraupidae). Still, they behave like miniature sunbirds or hummingbirds—using their slender bills to probe for nectar deep within blossoms and occasionally hawking insects mid-air.
Their diet is broad and opportunistic: nectar is a key staple, especially from flowering trees such as Inga and Cecropia, but they also consume berries, figs, and arthropods. Their feeding style is rapid and energetic—they rarely sit still for more than a few seconds, making them a challenge to photograph or observe clearly.
Purple Honeycreepers are often seen in small groups or mixed-species feeding flocks, which offer added protection from predators. Their vocalizations are thin, high-pitched tweets and trills, often heard before the bird itself is spotted.
During the breeding season, males become even more conspicuous, chasing rivals and performing fluttering displays to attract mates. Nesting occurs in small cup-shaped structures hidden among dense foliage, and both parents may assist in feeding the chicks.
Though not currently threatened, the species depends on the preservation of forested habitats, especially those rich in flowering plant diversity. In regions where forests remain intact, the Purple Honeycreeper continues to brighten the canopy like a flash of violet lightning—brief, beautiful, and utterly unforgettable.
8. Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis)
Where It Lives
The Amethyst-throated Sunangel is a radiant jewel of the Andes, thriving in high-elevation cloud forests across Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. It typically inhabits montane forests between 2,000 and 3,500 meters above sea level, where misty canopies, lush mosses, and flowering epiphytes create a dreamlike world in constant bloom. These forests are often cloaked in fog, lending an ethereal backdrop to one of South America’s most brilliantly colored hummingbirds.
Head Color and Features
Though subtle in dim light, the male’s plumage explodes into brilliance when caught by a sunbeam. The crown reveals a glowing violet hue, while the throat flashes a deep amethyst-purple gorget that sparkles like a gemstone. This throat patch, or “sunangel,” is the bird’s namesake and the focal point of its visual display. The rest of the body is typically greenish-bronze or emerald, blending seamlessly with the mossy forest canopy. Females are less iridescent but still carry a subtle charm with a duller green body and less vibrant throat.
The bird’s compact size, short tail, and slightly curved black bill give it a stocky, purposeful appearance. Its short wings allow for quick bursts of speed but also make it more reliant on perching between foraging flights.
Behavior and Habitat
Unlike many hummingbirds that stay in constant motion, the Amethyst-throated Sunangel is a frequent percher. It will often rest quietly on a mossy branch, scanning its territory and waiting for intruders to challenge. Males are highly territorial and will vigorously defend their feeding zones—patches of flowers or shrubs rich in nectar—by chasing away other hummingbirds, bees, and even butterflies with rapid aerial dives.
Its flight is fast and direct, and though it lacks the hovering grace of smaller hummingbirds, it more than makes up for it with agility and determination. While nectar is its primary food source, the Amethyst-throated Sunangel also supplements its diet with tiny insects and spiders, especially during the breeding season when protein is vital for chick development.
It typically forages in the understory and mid-canopy levels, favoring native flowering plants such as Fuchsia, Bomarea, and various bromeliads. These hummingbirds are often seen visiting flower clusters with quick darting movements, then retreating to a favorite perch to rest and preen.
Nesting occurs during the wet season. The female builds a small, cup-shaped nest out of moss, lichen, and plant down, usually placed on a protected branch or in a vine tangle. She lays two white eggs and takes on the primary duties of incubation and chick-rearing.
In the cool, damp, and often misty environment of the high Andes, the flash of amethyst from this sunangel’s throat can seem almost supernatural—a momentary glint of light and color in a world of green shadows.
9. Purple-headed Starling (Hylopsar purpureiceps)
Where It Lives
The Purple-headed Starling is a striking resident of West and Central Africa, where it inhabits the humid lowland rainforests, gallery forests, and wooded savannas across countries such as Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Uganda. This species thrives in moist environments rich in fruit-bearing trees and tall canopy cover, and it readily adapts to secondary growth and forest edges, making it a frequent sight near human settlements as well.
Head Color and Features
As its name suggests, the starling’s most remarkable feature is its shimmering purple head. In good lighting, the head and upper back blaze with an iridescent violet tone that often shifts to hues of blue or green depending on the angle of the sun. This glossy sheen gives the bird a metallic, almost mirror-like glow—especially when it’s in flight or perched high in the canopy. The purple extends down into the neck and upper breast, blending into darker wings and a subtly glossy body. The species’ stout black bill and vivid yellow eyes provide an additional layer of visual contrast, making its face particularly expressive.
Females look similar but may exhibit slightly less brilliance than the males, especially outside the breeding season. The glossy plumage not only dazzles visually but also serves as a signal of health and social status within flocks.
Behavior and Habitat
Like many starlings, the Purple-headed Starling is a gregarious and highly vocal bird. It’s commonly seen in small to medium-sized flocks, either foraging in the mid-to-upper canopy or hopping through fruiting trees. These starlings are active and agile, often fluttering from branch to branch in search of food. Their diet is omnivorous, including a variety of fruits—especially figs—alongside berries, seeds, and insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars.
They play a crucial ecological role as seed dispersers, helping maintain the health and diversity of the forests they inhabit. While feeding, they can be noisy, communicating with a mix of whistles, clicks, and musical trills that echo through the trees.
Breeding behavior is typical of many starlings: they nest in cavities, often using old woodpecker holes or natural crevices in trees. Both parents participate in raising the young, from nest construction to feeding chicks. During the breeding season, males often engage in visual displays, fluffing their plumage and vocalizing to attract mates and assert dominance.
Despite its radiant appearance, the Purple-headed Starling is not widely studied and remains somewhat elusive due to its preference for dense forest canopies. However, its distinctive coloration, communal behavior, and forest-dwelling lifestyle make it a treasured sight for birdwatchers lucky enough to catch a glimpse beneath the African foliage.
10. Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus)
Where It Lives
The Violet Sabrewing is a hummingbird of grand stature and brilliant color, found along the humid slopes of Central America. Its range stretches from the cloud forests of southern Mexico through Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, all the way to western Panama. It favors the edges of montane rainforests and cloud forests at elevations between 500 and 2,500 meters. In some areas, it’s a regular visitor to gardens and flowering hedgerows, where it dazzles with both its size and color.
Head Color and Features
This species is one of the most visually stunning hummingbirds in the Americas. Adult males are cloaked in a luxurious violet-purple that spans the head, throat, and much of the upper body, glowing with iridescent brilliance. The intensity of the coloration can vary with the light, flashing electric blue or deep indigo in flight. The crown blends seamlessly into the shimmering gorget, creating a regal helmet-like effect. The rest of the plumage includes metallic green flanks and a dusky, almost black tail with white tips.
Females, while less vibrant, are still beautiful—sporting green upperparts, a whitish belly, and a speckled throat. Both sexes have long, slightly curved bills perfectly adapted for nectar feeding, but it’s the male’s wings that are especially distinctive.
Behavior and Habitat
The Violet Sabrewing is not only the largest hummingbird in Central America—it’s also one of the boldest. Measuring up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length, it dwarfs most other hummingbirds in its range. Its name comes from the male’s broad, saber-shaped primary wing feathers, which are thickened and produce a faint humming or whirring sound during flight displays. These wing feathers are used both in courtship rituals and territorial defense.
Unlike smaller, nervy hummingbirds that flit rapidly between flowers, the Violet Sabrewing often hovers more deliberately and can remain at a single bloom longer. It feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of tubular flowers, such as Heliconia, Costus, and Inga, and supplements its diet with small insects and spiders for protein. Its powerful flight allows it to visit a wide range of elevations and habitats throughout the day.
Males are highly territorial and aggressively defend flower patches from rivals, often chasing intruders with sharp dives and loud wing buzzes. They are particularly active during the early morning and late afternoon when flowers are richest in nectar.
During the breeding season, males gather in loose leks—display arenas where they sing and posture to attract females. Their courtship flights include swooping arcs and hovering flourishes, all while flashing their violet plumage like a living jewel.
Nesting occurs in concealed locations, typically along forested ravines or shaded thickets. The female alone builds the nest and tends to the young. Her tiny cup-shaped nest is made of plant fibers, moss, and spider silk, often attached to a low-hanging branch or fern.
Despite their size and brilliance, Violet Sabrewings can be surprisingly elusive in dense vegetation. But when they emerge—wings buzzing and feathers aflame with violet fire—they embody the magic of the tropical highlands like few other birds can.
Why Are Purple Heads So Rare in Birds?
Purple coloration in birds is typically produced by structural coloration—microscopic feather structures that reflect light in ways that create vivid colors. Unlike pigments, structural colors shift with the angle of light, which is why many of these birds appear especially dazzling in sunlight.
In many species, purple is linked to mating displays and sexual selection. It signals vitality and good genes, which is why males often display purple more prominently than females.
Conclusion
From tropical forests to desert canyons, birds with purple heads bring a splash of unexpected color to ecosystems around the world. Whether it’s a violet crown, a shimmering crest, or a regal nape, these feathered wonders are reminders of nature’s boundless creativity. Keep an eye out—you might just spot one flashing its royal hue in the treetops near you.
