Types of Blue Parrots

Blue parrots are part of the psittacine group of birds, belonging to the order Psittaciformes. There are three families, 80 genera and 360 species in the order. Parrots are Psittacidae family members, along with parakeets. Parrots have powerful hooked beaks used for holding objects and as a locomotion aid. They have zgodactyl toes, meaning there are two in the front and two in the back. Many parrots have blue colored plumage.

  1. Blue Macaws

    • The Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is entirely blue with a yellow stripe around its eyes and lower beak. It lives in the Pantanal region of Brazil. The Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) is also totally blue. It's extremely rare and endangered in its native habitat in the Bahia state of Brazil. Over 95 percent of its diet is made up of the Licuri Palm nuts. The third all-blue macaw was the Glaucous macaw (Anodorhynchus glaucus) that is extinct. A fourth macaw colored entirely blue is the extremely rare Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii).

    Blue and Gold Macaw

    • Some of the more common blue parrots are the Ara genus macaws from Central and South America. The blue and gold, blue and yellow and red and blue macaws have a predominant color scheme of bright iridescent turquoise with deep cobalt blue on their wings. These are large birds often kept as pets as they readily breed in captivity. They may have a 3.5-foot wingspan and weigh up to 2.6 lbs.

    Parakeets

    • Budgies, called parakeets in the United States, are small to medium sized members of the parrot family. They are distinguished among the parrots by their long tapered tails. There are about 120 species of parakeets from Asia, Australia, the tropical regions of Africa, South America and Central America. Parakeet varieties can be found that are all blue or predominantly blue, particularly the Melopsittacus undulatus species. They are social flock birds and are very popular pets around the world.

    Parrotlets

    • There are seven species of parrotlets, the smallest of the true parrots. Most are less than 6 inches long. The blue wing parrotlets are predominately blue with tinges of violet. They are tiny birds, weighing a little over an ounce. Blue wings (Forpus Xanthopterygius) have been bred to produce a blue color mutation variety that is entirely blue. Many species of parrotlets from Mexico, Peru, Columbia and Brazil are mostly blue, with several types sporting intense turquoise feathers.