Free Rio Coloring Pages: 44 printable PDF designs of Blu and Jewel, the rare blue macaws, together with Nico the canary, Pedro the cardinal, Rafael the toucan, Nigel the cockatoo, Luiz the bulldog, the marmoset gang, and their human friends Linda, Tulio, and Fernando. Characters from Rio 2, including Blu and Jewel’s three kids, Gabi the frog, and Charlie the anteater, appear as well. Each page can be printed at home or colored on a screen.
Rio was made by Blue Sky Studios, the team behind Ice Age, and released in 2011 under Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha. Jesse Eisenberg voices Blu, a pet macaw from Minnesota who never learned to fly, and Anne Hathaway voices Jewel, a free-spirited wild macaw. Their trip to Rio de Janeiro turns into a chase through the city during Carnival, and a 2014 sequel takes the family deep into the Amazon rainforest.
Almost every character is modeled on a real South American species, so the film’s bright palette doubles as a guide to real bird and animal coloring. That makes the set equally useful for movie fans and for kids curious about rainforest wildlife.
What’s Inside This Collection
Spread across 44 designs, the set follows both movies, with Blu and Jewel at the center of nearly a third of the pages.
Blu and Jewel
The two macaws appear flying side by side, perched together, and on their own, plus a page of Blu munching cookies and another of him on a skateboard. Color their feathers Cerulean or Blue, fade to a lighter Sky Blue on the head, and leave a white ring around each eye with a Black beak.
Nico, Pedro, and Rafael
Nico and Pedro, the singing pair, fly through the jungle in one scene and pose as cute versions in others. Nico takes a bright Yellow body with a bottle cap hat, Pedro gets a Red crest and a Gray body, and Rafael’s huge beak shades from Yellow Orange to Orange with a Black tip.
Nigel, Gabi, and Charlie
Nigel, the villainous cockatoo, appears alone and with the marmosets. Leave him mostly White, shade lightly in Gray, and give his crest a pale Yellow. For Rio 2’s Gabi, try Hot Magenta with darker Violet spots, and color Charlie the anteater in Brown and Tan.
Rio 2 Family
Carla, Bia, and Tiago, the three young macaws, appear with their parents and with Rafael’s family, including Eva and their son Kipo. Using slightly brighter blues for the kids helps them read as smaller and younger than Blu and Jewel.
Humans, Luiz, and the Marmosets
Linda, Tulio, and Fernando appear in pairs and groups, along with Luiz the drooling bulldog and the mischievous marmosets. Give Linda Brown hair and red-framed glasses, Luiz a Tan coat, and the marmosets Brown fur with White tufts on their ears.
What Rio Coloring Pages Do
Meeting real rainforest species. Blu and Jewel are Spix’s macaws, Rafael is a toco toucan, and Gabi is a poison dart frog, all based on real animals. Coloring them invites kids to look up photos and compare each cartoon with the actual creature.
Detailed feather practice. Pediatric guidance from the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) pairs structured coloring with sharper fine motor control for kids 2 to 7. Layered wings, tail feathers, and beaks give young hands many small areas to fill carefully.
A cheerful way to unwind. Structured coloring was associated with reduced anxiety in a 2005 Art Therapy Journal report. Bright tropical colors and playful characters keep the mood light while the activity itself stays calm.
Talking about conservation. The film’s story centers on saving a rare bird from smugglers. These pages make a natural starting point for discussing endangered animals and why protecting their habitats matters.
How to Color Rio Pages Well
- Two blues for the macaws: Use Blue for the body and wings, then a lighter Sky Blue on the head and face. The gentle shift matches the real Spix’s macaw, which has a paler, grayish-blue head.
- Feather direction: Stroke along each feather from base to tip instead of coloring side to side. The texture makes wings look layered and soft.
- Rafael’s beak: Blend Yellow into Orange from the base toward the tip and finish with a small Black point. A smooth gradient gives the beak its glossy, oversized look.
- Bright accents for the singers: Keep Nico’s a clean Yellow and Pedro’s crest a strong Red. Saturated colors help these two small characters stand out in group scenes.
- Nigel in white: Leave much of Nigel bare, adding only Gray along his wing edges and under his crest. Light shading keeps him white while still giving him shape.
- Rio backgrounds: Use Jungle Green and Pine Green for rainforest leaves, Sky Blue for the ocean, and Yellow and Orange for a sunset over the city.
5 Creative Craft Ideas with Rio Coloring Pages
1. Bird Species Flash Card Game
Color one page each for Blu, Pedro, Nico, and Rafael, then write each bird’s real species name on the back of its card.
Shuffle the four cards and see if a friend or family member can guess the real species just by looking at the colors. Takes about twenty minutes to make and is ready to play straight away.
2. Tropical Color Swatch Ring
Color small patches of Blu’s blue, Pedro’s red, Nico’s yellow, and Rafael’s orange beak on separate small cards.
Punch a hole in each card and loop them onto a metal ring so you can flip through the colors quickly as a handy reference. Takes about fifteen minutes.
3. Blu and Jewel Flying Mobile
Color the Blu and Jewel Flying page, then carefully cut both birds out along their wing edges.
Punch a small hole near each bird’s tail and hang both from a short rod using string or ribbon so they float side by side. Takes about twenty-five minutes and looks great near a window.
4. Rio 2 Family Portrait Strip
Color the Bia, Carla, and Tiago group page and a Blu and Jewel duo page, then trim both to the same width.
Tape the two strips end to end to make one long family portrait with the kids on one side and the parents on the other. Takes about twenty minutes.
5. Nigel Versus Blu Contrast Card
Color a Nigel solo page and a Blu solo page side by side, keeping Nigel deliberately off-white and scruffy while Blu stays rich and vivid.
Fold a blank card in half and glue one character to each half so the two birds face each other when the card is opened. Takes about twenty minutes and shows the villain-versus-hero contrast really clearly.
FAQ About Rio Coloring Pages
Are these Rio coloring pages free, and can I color them online?
Yes, completely free. No sign-in, no payment. Download the PDF and print it at home, or color it directly on screen in the browser.
Does the set include Rio 2 characters like Bia, Carla, and Tiago, or mainly the first film’s cast?
Both films are covered. Most pages are from the first film, with Blu, Jewel, Pedro, Nico, Rafael, Nigel, Luiz, and the human cast. Rio 2 characters, including Bia, Carla, Tiago, Gabi, Charlie, and Kipo, show up across several pages, too.
What is Rio?
Rio is a 2011 animated film from Blue Sky Studios. It follows Blu, a pet macaw from Minnesota who heads to Rio de Janeiro, learns to fly, and falls for a wild macaw named Jewel. Rio 2 came out in 2014 and catches up with the whole family in the Amazon. You can read more on Wikipedia.
Why do all the birds in Rio have such vivid, accurate colors?
Because the film is based on each bird character on a real tropical species, Blu and Jewel’s blue comes from the Spix’s Macaw. Pedro’s red comes from the Red-crested Cardinal. Rafael’s orange beak comes from the Toco Toucan. The filmmakers used the actual birds as their color references, which is why the palette feels so vivid and specific rather than generic cartoon-bright.
What colors should I use for Blu and Jewel?
A rich, deep blue with a slight violet lean to it, not bright sky blue and not pale. Think intense and jewel-like rather than soft or pastel. Both characters are Spix’s Macaws, so they share the same base color, even though their personalities are completely different.
What colors should I use for Pedro, Nico, and Rafael?
Pedro: vivid red head, white cheeks and chest, black wings. Keep all three areas clean and distinct. Nico: warm, even yellow all over. Rafael: mostly black with a white chest and throat, and a large warm orange-yellow beak that’s the focal point of the whole design.
Are these official Rio coloring pages?
No. These are fan-made coloring sheets for personal use only, and they are not affiliated with or endorsed by Blue Sky Studios, 20th Century Fox, or any rights holder of Rio.
What is special about Nigel compared to the other birds?
Every other bird in the film uses clean, vivid versions of its real species colors. Nigel is the exception on purpose. He’s a cockatoo, so his base color is white, but the film makes him look worn and scraggly to match his villainous personality. Coloring him with a slightly off-white or yellowed tone captures that look far better than a clean, bright white would.
Start Coloring
Choose a favorite bird from the 44 Rio designs, click the image, and select a printable PDF or the browser-based coloring tool. All 44 sheets are free, and no account is required. Show off a finished macaw or toucan by tapping the Facebook or Pinterest button next to the page.
