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For reasons that we can't fully explain, certain colors are rare within the animal kingdom. One of these rare colors is blue. One characteristic of the blue-colored animals is that they can easily be spotted in a crowd since blue is a striking color. Below are some of these animals. Some are entirely blue while others have a blue color on some parts of their bodies.

Examples of Blue Animals

Blue heron

The great blue heron is a large bird found on the shore of open waters in most parts of Central and North America. The bird is considered the largest heron in North American and is twice as large as the great egret. The bird has a gray-blue appearance with red-brown and black stripes on the flanks. The face is entirely white while the neck is rusty-gray. A pair of gray-blue plumes runs from the back of the head to just above the head. The little blue herons have blue-gray plumage except on the neck and head. Their bills are blue or grayish with black tips while the legs and feet are dark blue.

Blue whale

The blue whale is a large marine mammal measuring up to 98 feet and weighing approximately 173 tons. The species is found in almost all of the oceans on Earth. Because of intensive whaling in the 20th century, there are only 5,000-12,000 blue whales left. The species has a long, slender body coved by the skin of various shades of blue-gray. The underneath is white while the head and the tail are generally gray. The upper part of the blue whale is usually molted.

Blue dacnis

The turquoise honeycreeper, also known as blue dacnis, is a passerine bird commonly found in South America. It inhabits woodlands, forests, parks, and gardens. The adult male bird is blue with back on the throat, back, and round the eyes. Some parts of the wings and tail are also black but edged with turquoise. The female and immature birds are generally green with blue heads.

Blue jay

The blue jay is also a passerine bird commonly found in North America. This bird is generally blue except for the white underparts and chest. A black, u-shaped collar appears around the neck. Both the male and female blue jays are similar in size and plumage. The birds feed mainly on seeds and nuts and occasionally on vegetables.

Why Blue is Rare Color among Animals

Only a handful of animals on earth are blue. On the contrary, the color blue is common in plants since they can produce blue pigment with the help of anthocyanin. The blue color in animals is pure because of the structural formation in their bodies. Thus, the majority of the animals that appear blue are not blue. The structures of their bodies enable them to bend the light through their bodies giving them the blue appearance.