The Massive Record of 61 Blue Birds

The world is filled with blue-feathered birds. Nevertheless, all these lovely blues seen in fowl feathers should not organic pigments, however somewhat structural colours which are purely a trick of optics. Much like how the sky and ocean may look blue to us, these birds’ feathers refract gentle in simply the precise strategy to seem blue to our eyes. In reality, blue feather pigments merely don’t exist within the fowl world, so each “blue” fowl you see makes use of this similar trick of structural coloration to idiot your eyes! You possibly can check this for your self by backlighting a single blue feather, which breaks up the sunshine magic and divulges the feather’s true pigments, grey to black melanins:

Though there are a whole lot and a whole lot of fowl species with not less than a few of these wonderful structural blue feathers, there are far fewer during which one or each sexes seem blue throughout from head to tail. Whereas among the birds on this listing could have a tiny little bit of black, grey, and/or white feathers within the combine, they nonetheless have a predominantly blue look that units them other than different largely blue birds with extra distinct patches of non-blue feathers. See photos of among the bluest blue jewels of the fowl world under, then try the total listing on the finish!

(Observe: black birds with only a bluish iridescence should not included on this listing. Nevertheless, iridescence is a type of structural coloration as effectively!)

Azure-Shouldered Tanager Thraupis cyanoptera

The Azure-shouldered tanager is native to the Atlantic Forest area of southeastern Brazil. Each the female and male are a lovely mixture of turquoise and powdery blue hues.

Blackish-Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza moesta

The blackish-blue seedeater is native to the Atlantic Forest area in South America. The male’s feathers are a darkish slate-blue.

Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina

The blue bunting is native to woodlands and thickets of Mexico and Central America. The male’s plumage is a mixture of sky-blue, deep blue, blackish-blue, and ultramarine feathers.

Blue Coua Coua caerulea

The blue coua is endemic to Madagascar. Each the female and male are a beautiful darkish blue hue with a violet sheen on the wings and tail.

Blue Finch Rhopospina caerulescens

The blue finch is native to open savanna, grassland, and cerrado in components of Brazil and Bolivia. The male’s plumage is a deep cobalt-blue to indigo-blue.

Blue-Grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus

The blue-gray tanager is distributed throughout Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and Trinidad and Tobago. Each the female and male are a mixture of gray-blue, powder-blue, and sky-blue feathers, though the feminine is barely duller.

Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius

The blue rock-thrush is broadly distributed throughout areas of North Africa and southern Eurasia. The male’s feathers are a deep blue with spangling.

Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus

The blue whistling-thrush is native to forests throughout parts of Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. China. Each the female and male have blackish-blue to deep blue plumage with metallic violet-blue and silvery spots, though the feminine is duller.

Deep-Blue Flowerpiercer Diglossa glauca

The deep-blue flowerpiercer is native to the jap slope of the Andes Mountains in South America. Each the female and male have blue plumage, however the male is a deeper blue with the feminine a duller blue.

Boring-Blue Flycatcher Eumyias sordidus

The dull-blue Flycatcher is endemic to Sri Lanka. Each the female and male have gray-blue to pale blue plumage with brighter blue highlights, though the feminine is barely duller.

Himalayan Shortwing Brachypteryx cruralis

The Himalayan shortwing is native to montane forests of Southeast Asia. The male’s plumage is a satiny darkish blue.

Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

The hyacinth macaw is native to components of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay in South America. Each the female and male have the identical cobalt-blue tinged with violet-blue plumage. (These bits of yellow across the eye and beak should not feathers, however somewhat naked pores and skin, so that they nonetheless obtained on this listing.)

Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

The indigo bunting is a migratory species that may be present in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The male’s breeding season plumage is a vibrant blue with a purplish-blue head.

Indigo Macaw Anodorhynchus leari

The indigo macaw is an endangered species endemic to a small area within the inside of northeastern Brazil. Each the female and male have the identical all-over metallic blue plumage, with small patches of yellow pores and skin across the eye and beak just like its shut relative, the hyacinth macaw.

Javan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus glaucinus

The Javan whistling-thrush is a flycatcher native to montane forests of Java and Bali. Each the female and male are a deep, darkish blue, though the feminine is duller and barely browner.

Giant Niltava Niltava grandis

The massive niltava is native to broadleaf forests in areas of South and Southeast Asia. The male’s plumage is a mixture of deep ultramarine, darkish blue, and black-blue feathers.

Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides

The mountain bluebird is native to mountainous areas of Western North America The male is shiny cerulean to turquoise above, fading to paler blue into whitish-blue under, with none of the orange coloration that different bluebird species have.

Nilgiri Flycatcher Eumyias albicaudatus

The Nilgiri flycatcher is endemic to southwestern India. The male is an all-over deep indigo-blue.

Pale Blue Flycatcher Cyornis unicolor

The pale blue flycatcher is native to forests of Southeast Asia. The male has cobalt blue plumage.

Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus

Though most of the pinyon jay’s jay cousins even have a number of blue feathers, just one different species is uniformly blue sufficient to seem on this listing.

The pinyon jay is present in Western North America, the place they nest primarily in pinyon-juniper woodlands. Each the female and male are boring grayish-blue with deeper blue on the top, though this head coloration is a bit duller within the feminine.

Royal Sunangel Heliangelus regalis

The royal sunangelEcuadorive to Ecuador and Peru. It’s the solely hummingbird species with males which are virtually totally blue. Their plumage is primarily deep metallic blue, with areas of indigo to violet and iridescence that change by subspecies.

Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus

The satin bowerbird is endemic to forests of jap Australia. The male has an all-over deep, shiny, indigo-blue sheen.

Small Niltava Niltava macgrigoriae

The small niltava is native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The male is a lovely deep sapphire blue with some shiny blue and purplish-blue highlights and paler blue underparts.

Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii

The Spix’s macaw is endemic to Brazil, though it’s at present believed extinct within the wild. Nevertheless, a small inhabitants exists in captivity, and there are plans to someday re-establish a wild inhabitants. Each the female and male have the identical plumage, together with a pale bluish-gray head and grayish-blue to violet-blue physique.

Taiwan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus insularis

The Taiwan whistling-thrush is endemic to Taiwan. Each the female and male have deep darkish blue to blackish-blue plumage highlighted with royal blue spangling.

Tenerife Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea

The Tenerife blue chaffinch is endemic to the Canary Islands. The male is a deep slate-blue to grayish-blue.

Tit-Like Dacnis Xenodacnis parina

The tit-like dacnis is native to the Andes area of Ecuador and Peru. The male’s plumage is deep blue.

Turquoise Flycatcher Eumyias panayensis

The turquoise flycatcher is native to Indonesia and the Philippines. Each the female and male are predominantly turquoise, though the feminine is a bit duller.

Ultramarine Grosbeak Cyanoloxia brissonii

The ultramarine grosbeak is present in two disjunct populations in South America. The male is a darkish ultramarine with shiny blue highlights on its head.

Unicolored Jay Aphelocoma unicolor

The unicolored jay is native to evergreen forests in Mexico and Central America. Each the female and male have the identical wealthy indigo-blue coloration.

Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus

The verditer flycatcher is native to South and Southeast Asia. Each the female and male are a verditer-blue, though the feminine is a bit duller and greyer.

White-tailed Robin Myiomela leucura

The white-tailed robin is native to forests in areas of South and Southeast Asia. The male is darkish black-blue with a shiny blue brow and shoulder patches.

The Full Record of 61 Blue Birds

Species	The place Discovered	Blue Plumage Description
1. Amazonian Grosbeak Cyanoloxia rothschildii	N South America	male is darkish blue with shiny blue highlights on head
2. Azure Curler Eurystomus azureus	North Maluku	each sexes are darkish shiny ink-blue
3. Azure-Shouldered Tanager Thraupis cyanoptera	Brazil	each sexes are a mixture of turquoise and powdery blue
4. Blackish-Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza moesta	Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay	male is darkish slate-blue
5. Blue-Black Grosbeak Cyanoloxia cyanoides	S Mexico, Central America, N South America	male is darkish blackish-blue with brighter blue highlights on head
6. Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina	Mexico & Central America	male is a mixture of sky-blue, deep blue, blackish-blue, and ultramarine
7. Blue Coua Coua caerulea	Madagascar	each sexes are darkish blue with violet sheen on wings and tail
8. Blue Cuckooshrike Cyanograucalus azureus	West & Central Africa	male is good shiny blue; feminine duller and greener blue
9. Blue Finch Rhopospina caerulescens	Brazil and Bolivia	male is deep cobalt-blue to indigo-blue
10. Blue-Fronted Robin Cinclidium frontale	S & SE Asia	male is deep indigo-blue with shiny blue brow and shoulder
11. Blue-Grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus	Mexico, Central America, N South America, Trinidad and Tobago	male is a mixture of gray-blue, powder-blue, and sky-blue; feminine barely duller
12. Blue Mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens	Mexico	each sexes are deep blue
13. Blue Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone cyanescens	Palawan	male is grayish-blue
14. Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius	Afro-Eurasia	male is spangled deep blue
15. Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza concolor	Mexico & Central America	male is slate-blue
16. Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus	Central Asia, S Asia, SE Asia. China	each sexes blackish-blue to boring deep blue with metallic violet-blue and silvery spots; feminine duller
17. Bluish Flowerpiercer Diglossa caerulescen	Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela	male is a mixture of boring blue and gray-blue
18. Bornean Shortwing Brachypteryx erythrogyna	Borneo	male is darkish indigo-blue
19. Carrizal Seedeater Amaurospiza carrizalensis	Venezuela	male is darkish shiny slate-blue
20. Celestial Monarch Hypothymis coelestis	Philippines	male is a mixture of shiny cerulean-blue, cobalt-blue, and pale blue; feminine with duller blues
21. Cerulean Cuckooshrike Coracina temminckii	Sulawesi	each sexes are grayish-blue tinged with cobalt-blue
22. Cerulean Flycatcher Eutrichomyias rowleyi	Sangir Island	each sexes are cerulean-blue
23. Chinese language Shortwing Brachypteryx sinensis	China	male is darkish slate-blue above and pale gray-blue under
24. Deep-Blue Flowerpiercer Diglossa glauca	Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay	male is deep blue, feminine duller blue
25. Boring-Blue Flycatcher Eumyias sordidus	Sri Lanka	each sexes with gray-blue to pale blue plumage with brighter blue highlights; feminine barely duller
26. Ecuadorian Seedeater Amaurospiza aequatorialis	Columbia, Ecuador, Peru	male is dusky-blue
27. Glaucous-Blue Grosbeak Cyanoloxia glaucocaerulea	Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay	male is deep sky-blue
28. Glaucous Macaw Anodorhynchus glaucus	Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay	each sexes are glaucous-blue
29. Nice Shortwing (Heinrichia calligyna)	Sulawesi	male is darkish blue
30. Himalayan Shortwing Brachypteryx cruralis	SE Asia	male is darkish blue
31. Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus	Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay	each sexes are cobalt-blue tinged with violet-blue
32. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea	North America, Central America, Caribbean	male in breeding plumage is vibrant blue with purplish-blue head
34. Indigo Flowerpiercer Diglossa indigotica	Columbia & Ecuador	each sexes are vivid indigo-blue
35. Indigo Macaw Anodorhynchus leari	Brazil	each sexes are metallic blue
36. Javan Blue Robin (Myiomela diana)	Java	male is indigo-blue
37. Javan Shortwing (Brachypteryx montana)	Java	male is darkish grayish blue
38. Javan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus glaucinus	Java & Bali	each sexes are deep darkish blue; feminine barely duller
39. Giant Niltava Niltava grandis	Philippines	male is mixture of deep ultramarine, darkish blue, and black-blue
40. Malayan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus robinsoni	Malay Peninsula	male is black-blue with metallic purplish-blue forehead-band, shoulder patch, and spangling on entrance; feminine is duller with much less spangling
41. Mindanao Blue-Fantail Rhipidura superciliaris	Philippines	each sexes are a mixture of silvery cobalt-blue, indigo-blue, grayish-blue, boring blue
42. Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides	W North America	male is shiny cerulean to turquoise above, fading to paler blue into whitish-blue under
43. Nilgiri Flycatcher Eumyias albicaudatus	India	male is deep indigo-blue
44. Nuthatch-Vanga Hypositta corallirostris	Madagascar	male is darkish grayish-blue
45. Pale-Blue Monarch Hypothymis puella	Indonesia	male a mixture of pale azure-blue, grayish-blue, pale blue
46. Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus	W North America	each sexes are boring grayish-blue with deeper blue on head (duller in females)
47. Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus	E Australia	male has deep shiny indigo-blue sheen
48. Small Niltava Niltava macgrigoriae	S & SE Asia	male is a deep sapphire-blue with some shiny blue and purplish-blue highlights and paler blue underparts
49. Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii	Brazil	each sexes with pale bluish-gray head and grayish-blue to violet-blue physique
50. Sumatran Blue Robin (Myiomela sumatrana)	Sumatra	male is darkish indigo-blue
51. Sumatran Shortwing Brachypteryx saturata	Sumatra	each sexes deep darkish grayish blue; feminine duller
52. Taiwan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus insularis	Taiwan	male is darkish grayish-blue
53. Tenerife Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea	Canary Islands	male is a deep slate-blue to grayish-blue
54. Tit-Like Dacnis Xenodacnis parina	Ecuador & Peru	male is deep blue
55. Turquoise Flycatcher Eumyias panayensis	Indonesia, Philippines	each sexes are predominantly turquoise; feminine duller
56. Ultramarine Grosbeak Cyanoloxia brissonii	South America	male is darkish ultramarine with shiny blue highlights on head
57. Unicolored Jay Aphelocoma unicolor	Mexico & Central America	each sexes are wealthy indigo-blue
58. Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus	S & SE Asia	each sexes are verditer-blue; feminine is barely duller/grayer
59. Visayan Blue-Fantail Rhipidura samarensis	Philippines	each sexes are a mixture of blues together with silvery cobalt-blue, boring darkish blue, grayish-blue, and darkish indigo-blue
60. White-tailed Flycatcher Leucoptilon concretum	S & SE Asia	male a mixture of cobalt-blue and darkish gray-blue with shiny blue head cap
61. White-tailed Robin Myiomela leucura	S & SE Asia	male is darkish black-blue with shiny blue brow and shoulder patches

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