 The Mascarene parrot was 35 cm ( 14 in ) in length . The wing was 211 mm ( 8 @.@ 3 in ) , the tail 144 – 152 mm ( 5 @.@ 7 – 6 @.@ 0 in ) , the culmen 32 – 36 mm ( 1 @.@ 3 – 1 @.@ 4 in ) , and the tarsus 22 – 24 mm ( 0 @.@ 87 – 0 @.@ 94 in ) . It had a large red bill and moderately long , rounded tail feathers . It had a black velvet @-@ like facial mask on the front part of the head . There are several discrepancies in how the colour of the body , wings , tail feathers and the head have historically been described and depicted . In 1674 , Dubois described live specimens as being " petit @-@ gris " which is the colour of the dark phase of the red squirrel . This colour is a dark blackish @-@ grey or brown . 
