A large, very long-tailed lorikeet of mid and upper montane forest. Red head and chest, green wings, dark patch on the belly, green base to the tail and yellow tail tip. Races differ and a very distinctive black morph, still with green wings, also occurs. Vogelkop birds have yellow on the side of the chest and lower flanks. Like other lorikeets, nomadic following the flowering of trees. Similar to Josephine’s Lorikeet, but Papuan is distinctly larger with long tail streamers. Call, a high-pitch, ringing “srik!” note.