Chocobos come in various different Chocobo Types.
Colors
Generally, if there is any difference in the abilities or disposition of a chocobo, it is based upon their color. Below are a list of traditional colors for chocobos, where they appear, and what that means in terms of their abilities, if anything.
Yellow Chocobo
Yellow chocobos are the most common of all chocobo colors and can be found in every game where chocobos appear. They are the most easily tameable of all types, and are usually the only color available for rental by the player.
In Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX, in order to obtain the rarer colors of chocobo, the player must first start out with yellow ones.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, a standard yellow Chocobo appears as a tameable Commando monster. They're native to Archylte Steppe Year Unknown.
Black Chocobo
Black chocobos are rare and can traverse land, rivers, and mountains. It cannot traverse over deep water. They first appear in Final Fantasy IV, and they cannot fly over mountains. When mounted a second time, they automatically fly Cecil and his friends back to the forest near Troia, the only forest in which they can be found. Until the player enters the Lunar Whale for the first time, one black chocobo will spawn in each chocobo forests. There is also a chocobo farm in Troia that raises black chocobos; however, these ones cannot fly.
In Final Fantasy V, black chocobos can fly over mountains as well, however, they cannot fly over tall, snow capped ranges. A black chocobo is found in a forest near Crescent, and has two Job Crystals stuck in it. These are the Hunter and the Bard. The same black chocobo can also be found in Phantom Village, and riding the black chocobo is the only way to reach the Phoenix Tower. The game has a glitch that loses player their black chocobo forever if they land it in the middle of the Great Forest of Moore.
In Final Fantasy VII, black chocobos can walk over mountains and across rivers. They are bred by mating a blue and a green chocobo with a Carob Nut. Joe, the professional chocobo racer at the Gold Saucer, will challenge the player with his black chocobo, Teioh. His statistics will always be slightly higher than the player's, though he is still able to be beaten.
In Final Fantasy XII, black chocobos wander the Ozmone Plain and will attack anyone on sight.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Black Chocobos lack their usual flight abilities, and take up the Saboteur role in battle. Like many of the chocobos, they are one of the best monsters at their role. They are native to the Vile Peaks 10 AF.
In Final Fantasy Tactics, the black chocobos can be recruited through Orator abilities or by breeding any other chocobo. Their Choco Pellets technique can be devastating.
In Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, black chocobo are capable of flight and using the ranged fire attack, Choco Flame.
In Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, Layle uses one temporarily while escaping Jegran. It is also capable of flight.
Blue Chocobo
Blue chocobos appear in Final Fantasy VII, in which they can cross rivers, and in Final Fantasy IX, in which light blue chocobos can traverse shallow water and dark blue chocobos can travel oceans. In Final Fantasy VII the player has a chance to get a blue chocobo by breeding "good" and "great" yellow chocobos with a Carob Nut.
In Final Fantasy IX, Choco can become light blue after digging at the location on the Healing Shore chocograph from the Chocobo Hot and Cold minigame which allows him to traverse shallow waters. He can become dark blue by locating the Green Plains chocograph which allows him to cross oceans. There are also blue chocobos in Chocobo's Paradise.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Blue Chocobos can join the party in battle if captured. They are the best monster Ravagers in the game, with some resistance to all element spells and massive attack potential. They are native to Archylte Steppe Year Unknown.
Brown Chocobo
In Final Fantasy XII, brown chocobos can be found in Dalmasca Estersand and Salikawood, usually sleeping and docile.
Brown chocobos are also found in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, where they can use the Choco Guard ability to cast Regen and increase defense.
Gold Chocobo
Gold chocobos first appear in Final Fantasy VII and can cross all terrain, including oceans. They are the highest level of chocobo, available after extensive breeding. In order to get a gold chocobo, the player must breed a "wonderful" yellow chocobo with a black chocobo with a Zeio Nut. Another way to get a gold chocobo is by defeating Ruby Weapon and giving its reward, the Desert Rose, to the Kalm Traveler.
Gold chocobos reappear in Final Fantasy IX and can fly, but like the black chocobos from Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V, they can only land in forests. Obtaining the gold chocobo is the only way to enter the Chocobo's Air Garden. Some versions of Final Fantasy IX have a glitch, which occurs if the player obtains the gold chocobo before they obtain an airship, letting them skip parts of the story completely. Choco can only become a gold chocobo after putting together the six chocograph pieces to form the Mist Ocean chocograph, and then digging at that spot.
Gold chocobos in both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX are the most difficult to obtain, though through their exceptional abilities give the player strong optional items and skills.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, the player can open a hidden container to find a Golden Chocobo in A Dying World 700 AF. It is among the top Commando type monsters in the game and one the best contenders in the chocobo races. It doesn't stand out as much as in other games though, as it is overshadowed in racing by the Silver Chocobo and matched by the Red Chocobo as a Commando, though with different specialties. It is one-of-a-kind monster.
Green Chocobo
The green chocobo appears in Final Fantasy VII, and can be used to cross mountains. The Chocobo Sage owns a green chocobo and if the player presses the action button on it, it will give an Enemy Skill Materia. The player has a chance to get a green chocobo by breeding "good" and "great" type yellow chocobos with a Carob Nut.
In Final Fantasy XII green chocobos appear in the Salikawood, usually sleeping.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Green Chocobos are Medics. Like many of the chocobos in this game, they are the best monster in their role. Their Cheer ability refills their attack oriented Feral Link quickly, which also makes them excellent for use in catching other monsters. They are native to Yaschas Massif 100 AF and 110 AF.
The green chocobos in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift can cast Choco Esuna to remove status ailments from nearby allies.
In Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, green chocobos give away summon stones if they are successfully fed.
Red Chocobo
In Final Fantasy IV Advance and Complete Collection, they are seen in Cecil's trial in the Lunar Ruins.
In Final Fantasy VII, a red chocobo can also appear as an opponent in Gold Saucer's Chocobo Racing, but is not a type of chocobo the player can obtain.
In Final Fantasy IX red chocobos can cross mountains. Choco can become a red chocobo after digging at the spot on the Dawn Lagoon chocograph.
In Final Fantasy XII, red chocobos appear on the Ozmone Plain, and if players fulfill certain conditions, a level 99 one will appear. This special chocobo will always drop a Ribbon.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, the Red Chocobo appears in the Archylte Steppe Year Unknown and may be tamed by the player. It's a powerful Commando role fighter with the useful Stagger Maintenance ability. A similar-looking chocobo, the Rambunctious Chocobo, may be found in various locations and time periods while traveling through the Historia Crux. Its body is covered in red feathers with green and blue plumage on its wings and tail. It has its own theme song, "Crazy Chocobo".
Red chocobos appear in Final Fantasy Tactics and are known for their crushing Choco Meteor.
Red chocobos are mentioned, although not seen, in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, as the Gotor Sands area is "famous for its mirages and red chocobos".
In Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, the red chocobos are the only breed that can use the devastating Choco Meteor. Furthermore, a level 99 chocobo named Redhawk can appear in a random battle in Goug. If the player wins, they obtain the Armlet of Whispers, which can be equipped to allow the summoning of Shemhazai in battle.
White Chocobo
In Final Fantasy IV, the white chocobo restores 500 MP of Cecil's party when caught.
In Final Fantasy V, the summon Chocobo is a white chocobo.
In Final Fantasy VII, a white chocobo is found in the small town of Mideel and if given Mimett Greens and tickled behind its ears, it gives the Contain Materia. A white chocobo can also appear as an opponent in Gold Saucer's Chocobo Racing, but the player can't get this type of chocobo themselves.
In Final Fantasy XII, the Elite Mark Trickster is a giant white chocobo. White chocobos can also be encountered as a rare regular enemy on the Phon Coast, and one is seen near the beginning of the game when the Imperials are bringing one in for the consul's parade.
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, White Chocobos are Medics. They rival the green chocobos as the best medics in the game, though they're slightly more work to raise and have an ability that negatively affects their Feral Link attack. They are native to Oerba 300 AF.
The special ability of the white chocobos in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is Choco Recharge that replenishes MP.
It also appears in Final Fantasy Dimensions, and restores the party's MP when caught.
Silver Chocobo
Added in Final Fantasy XIII-2 the silver chocobo is a defense-oriented Sentinel. While, like many of the chocobos in Final Fantasy XIII-2, it's in the running for best Sentinel in the game, it really shines for being the earliest, and arguably best, racing chocobo in the game. It learns the best racing abilities easily and its stats hit the max for the racing game with some reasonably easy grinding for the point in the game it's found at.
Purple Chocobo
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Purple Chocobos are Synergists. Like many of the chocobos, it's one of the best monsters for its role. They are native to Bresha Ruins 100 AF and 300 AF.
Other Types
Fat Chocobo
Fat Chocobo is a different type of chocobo, and never appears as a playable chocobo. Instead, the Fat Chocobo serves another role, by storing the player's items in the series' early games, appearing as a summon in Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VIII, and serving a storyline role by being the king of all chocobos in Final Fantasy IX.
Baby Chocobos
Baby chocobos, known as "chicobos" in Final Fantasy VIII, appear in certain games of the series. In Final Fantasy V Boco and Koko have children, and in Final Fantasy VIII the player can obtain a chicobo from a Chocobo Forest to play as in the Chocobo World minigame.
A baby chocobo named Bobby Corwen is revealed to have hatched from an egg in the Black Mage Village in Final Fantasy IX. The tiniest baby chocobo type appears in Final Fantasy XIII, with Sazh's Chocobo Chick being small enough to use his afro for a nest.
Pulse and Cocoon Chocobos
Final Fantasy XIII has two different types of chocobos, Pulse and Cocoon breeds. Chocobos roaming the Archylte Steppe in Gran Pulse live in the wild and are much larger than their domesticated Cocoon counterparts, as well as having a more vicious appearance. Cocoon chocobos can be found in Nautilus' petting zoo. Sazh's chocobo chick is a Cocoon chocobo.