Her screams are deafening when she is not the center of attention, as anyone knows who calls the education office. I've even watched her chase people who tease her, waddling and jabbering all the way. She has done a lot of damage. But the color of this parrot is what really sparked my imagination. Though she looks out of place in our part of the world, this colorful parrot is inconspicuous in the wilds of Central America and northern South America.
Many parrots live in lush, green forests.
Green, blue and yellow help blend the birds into the flickering lights and shadows of their environment. I thought the green color came from pigments imbedded in the feathers. All surfaces of the green feathers are dotted with tiny, air-filled pores that absorb all the colors of the light spectrum, except blue. Blue is reflected back out for our eyes to see. The yellow feathers on the back of the bird's neck do not have the blue reflecting pores but are colored with the yellow pigment.