The Red Lory is mainly red, with black on parts of the wings and blue feathers beneath the tail. It has also been recorded in lowland forest on Buru Island.
The nominate subspecies is mainly red, with black on parts of the wings, a dark red tail, and blue feathers beneath it. Juveniles are duller, with less visible blue.
The nominate subspecies is active and noisy in the wild and often moves in flocks. Its diet includes Psidium and Erythrina plants and small insects.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.