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On St. Patrick's Day, wearing green is part of getting into the spirit. Here are eight bird species whose green plumage puts St. Patrick's Day revelers to shame!
Budgerigar
These neon green parrots are among the most popular pets in the world. Budgies, as they're commonly known, began to spread across the planet in 1840, when naturalist John Gould introduced the bird to England from its native Australia.
White-cheeked Turaco
The white-cheeked turaco, native to the Horn of Africa, is another popular house pet. Turaco chicks sport an unusual feature: Claws on the ends of their wings. They are vestiges of its ancient ancestor Archaeopteryx, the last feathered dinosaur or the first modern bird, depending on whom you ask!
Green-breasted Mango
This hummingbird is rarely found outside its natural range of coastal Central America. "Green-breasted" isn't actually an accurate description of the females: They bear a bright blue stripe from the bill to the belly.
Northern Lapwing
This shorebird is found in virtually every corner of Eurasia, from the farmlands of the northern United Kingdom to the forests of South Korea. Its name comes from the iridescent green of its wings—in Old English it was called hleapewince, "a leap with a flicker in it."
Violet-green Swallow
These tiny birds from the American West have a streak of altruism in them as bright as their green as their wings: A pair of violet-green swallows was once observed helping a pair of western bluebirds raise their young. They tended and guarded the nestlings until they fledged.
Green Bee-eater
The green bee-eater's diet is exactly what its name suggests: honeybees and other stinging insects. Before gulping venomous bugs down, the little birds from sub-Saharan Africa rub prey against tree branches to get rid of any poison.
Lesser Green Broadbill
The lesser green broadbill spends most of its time in the canopies of the forests in Southeast Asia. Ironically, the electric green of their wings makes them nearly invisible against a leafy backdrop.
Short-tailed Green Magpie
Also known as the Bornean or Javan green magpie for their home ranges, these little passerines gradually change color as they age. The yellow pigments from its insect-based diet that give the bird its green hue fade to reveal naturally blue plumage.