Why is Zazu blue?

[Leorgathar]

Ok, a little bit of context
The Mexican TLKoB Facebook site recently gave out a collection of their plushies to whoever answered a series of questions, like "How many giraffes are there in the IJCWTBK segment?"

Sadly I saw it late and didn't get to participate >.< but Jead did, and one of the questions was "Why is Zazu blue?"
I've never wondered it myself Is there a real answer to this? Like, has it ever been mentioned somewhere by the designers? Or was it just to mess with our heads?

What would you answer to this?

[nathalie]

Since they used it for a competition question, there must be an answer.
But I don't know it.

Didn't they put up the answers after the contest?

[Leorgathar]

Hmm they haven't put the answer yet, but I read in the comments section one who said it may be because Zazu was originally going to be a Common Kingfisher, which is blue, then it was changed to a hornbill but kept the color.

I wonder if it's true

[HasiraKali]

They mentioned it in the Making Of special. It was the lead animator that was saying something about it. I don't remember exactly what she said, it's been a long time since I've watched it.

[nathalie]

Which making of? haha :/ I got 3 or 4 different ones (VHS, TV, laserdisc, DVD)

[cleargreenwater]

I....I never thought about Zazu being blue

I would guess maybe it's something about it being difficult to animate a mostly black character? But IDK, I never once thought about how weird it is that he's blue.

(I'm now picturing a VantaBlack Zazu lol. Simba & Nala thought he was a drag, imagine if he sucked more than just the fun out of a situation and ate light itself. Stealth Zazu!)

[Nit]

(I'm now picturing a VantaBlack Zazu lol. Simba & Nala thought he was a drag, imagine if he sucked more than just the fun out of a situation and ate light itself. Stealth Zazu!)

OMG Someone should draw a comic of this.

Anyway, colours of bird's feathers aren't always made the same way. Read this:
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/ho...rful-feathers/

Non-Iridescent Feathers

Not all structural colors are iridescent. Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jays and Steller’s Jays.

I wonder if it's true to Zazu, who (in theory) is a red-billed hornbill. The problem is: red-billed hornbills aren't blue. Trumpeter Hornbill can be blue-ish...y but more in an iridescent way, I think. Is Zazu a cross-breed?
Nah, I'm just overthinking it now. I guess it was just and only a design choice. A blue bird looks fancier. And while at it... isn't Zazu royal-blue?

[SillydogTheGreat]

Also anyone notice that Broadway Zazu is a white bird?