Birds are some of the most adorable and amazing creations by Mother Nature. We are fortunate enough to live on a planet that is home to countless species of most beautiful birds. Or to be exact, between 9,000 and 10,000 bird species of birds. That is a number that bird watchers and scientists have come to.
That large number makes it even harder and more challenging to pick the most stunning birds. Flora and fauna are perfect, and it is all thanks to nature. Today, we will look at birds with vibrant colors and captivating feathers.
We believe our list perfectly sums up some of the most beautiful birds in the world. Let’s go.
Golden Pheasant
The popular name of this bird is the Chinese pheasant as well as the rainbow pheasant. Fun fact: he does not have all the colors of the rainbow. But his yellow and red colors resemble a lot of the national colors of China.
The bigger reason why we call it the Chinese pheasant is because it is native to mountainous areas of western China. Yet, scientists have found populations in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Germany, Belgium, France, and many more.
The adult male golden pheasant reaches 41 inches in length, with its tail accounting for two-thirds of the length. You will instantly recognize this bird thanks to its golden crest and rump and bright red body.
Birds of Paradise
Members of the family Paradisaeidae, the majority of these species live in Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia. The family has 42 species in 15 genera. And each one has its own set of beautiful features.
They are best known for the plumage of the males, which are sexually dimorphic. They are usually spending their time in a dense rainforest habitat.
Fruits dominate their diet, but they also consume arthropods. They are also closely related to corvids. They can range in size from king to curl-crested manucode.
The plumage variation between the sexes is closely related to their breeding system.
Blue Jay
This passerine bird in the family Corvidae is native to eastern North America. Living in most of eastern and central United States, their populations may be migratory.
Breeding populations, for example, can be found across southern Canada. The Blue Jay breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests.
The bird feeds mostly on seeds and nuts. Sometimes, they hide their food to eat it later. Their name jay derives from their noisy and garrulous nature.
Keel-billed Toucan
Another common name for this bird is sulfur-breasted toucan or rainbow-billed toucan. The colorful Latin American member of the toucan family is among the most recognizable.
It is also the national bird of Belize. You can easily find this species in tropical jungles ranging from southern Mexico to Colombia. The keel-billed toucan is an omnivorous forest bird feeding on fruits, insects, seeds, invertebrates, lizards, snakes, and even small birds.
Fun fact: they have zygodactyl feet or feet with toes facing in different directions. To put it more precisely, two of their toes face forward and two face backward. This build helps them stay on branches and jump from one branch to another.
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
The large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests lives in the New Guinea region. You can easily recognize the bird by the unique white tips on its crests. But you can recognize them even without seeing by their deep whooping sounds they make while calling.
Most bird species grow up to 30 inches in length, but some can exceed the length of 31 inches. Like most crowned pigeons, they make a loud clapping sound when it takes flight.
Rainbow Lorikeet
These parrot species are native to Australia. They are common along the eastern seaboard, ranging from northern Queensland to South Australia. The rainbow lorikeet lives in rainforests, coastal bushes, and woodland areas.
They are medium-sized parrots, with their length ranging between 10 and 12 inches. One challenge is there is little to no visual distinction between the sexes.
Columbidae
This beautiful bird family consists of pigeons and doves. It is the only family in the order of Columbiformes. The stout-bodied birds have short necks and short slender bills. In some species, they feature fleshy ceres.
The Columbidae usually feeds on seeds, fruits, and plants. You can find the greatest variety in Australasian realms.
And they are a big family. There are 344 beautiful bird species divided into 50 genera. Usually, we call the smaller species doves, while the larger ones pigeons.
They build relatively flimsy nests, often using sticks and other debris.
Mandarin Duck
This perching duck species is native to the East Palearctic. It has a medium size, ranging between 16 and 19 inches. Closely related to the North American wood duck, the adult male bird has a red bill, large white crescent above the eye, and a reddish face.
Both males and female bird species have crests. But the purple crest is more visible on the male bird species. Like other ducks, the male undergoes a molt after the mating season into eclipse plumage.
They are almost identical in appearance compared to wood ducklings.
Bohemian Waxwing
The starling-sized passerine bird breeds in the northern forests of the Palearctic and North America. Females are similar to males, but young birds are less well-marked. Younglings have few or no waxy wingtips.
Some mistake them with the Japanese waxwings. But they can be easily recognized by size and plumage difference. They use coniferous forests near water as their breeding habitat during breeding season.
During the winter, they are very tame. They can enter towns and gardens searching for food, mostly rowan berries.
Painted Bunting
The species in the cardinal family Cardinalidae is a near-threatened bird. It is native to North America. The male bird has bright plumage, but it only comes in the second year of life. In the first year, you can hardly distinguish them from females.
Many bird watcher enthusiasts consider the male painted bunting the most beautiful bird in North America. You can easily identify it by its colors, dark blue head, greenback, red rump, and underpants.
Kingfisher
Some bird experts call them Alcedinidae. They are a family of small to medium-sized and brightly colored birds in the order of Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, but most of the species live in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia. The family contains 114 beautiful bird species, divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera.
All of them have large heads and long, sharp, pointed bills. Most species have bright plumage with only small differences between the sexes. They are tropical in distribution, but some can be found in forests.
Red-crested Turaco
This frugivorous bird is endemic to western Angola. When you hear it call sounds, you might think you are listening to a jungle monkey.
They are usually seen in flocks of up to 30 birds. Another formation is in pairs. The colorful bird remains in trees for most of the time, coming down only to eat or drink.
We talked about their voice. The females have a deep barking call, which is slightly higher-pitched than that of males. These birds are highly vocal, particularly at dawn.
We said before they can be found in Angola. That is why they are considered the national bird of Angola.
Greater Bird-of-paradise
This bird is the largest one in the genus Paradisaea. Males can measure up to 17 inches, excluding the long twin tail wires. Female birds are even bigger, measuring up to 19 inches.
The plumage is sexually dimorphic, with the male having an iridescent green face and a yellow-glossed with a silver crown. The female, on the other hand, has unbarred maroon brown plumage. Both sexes have yellow iris and blue bills.
The bird appears on Trinidad and Tobago’s $100 bill.
Scarlet Macaw
This large red, yellow, and blue parrot is native to Central and South America. The scarlet macaw is a member of a large group of parrots called macaws. He lives in humid evergreen forests. You can easily recognize his colorful feathers.
In some areas, this parrot has suffered local extinction because of habitat destruction and parrot trade. Like some other macaws, this colorful bird is popular in aviculture because of their striking pumage.
Fun fact: this bird is the national bird of Honduras.
Hyacinth Macaw
You can call it hyacinth macaw or hyacinthine macaw, this parrot is native to central and eastern South America. He has a near-full blue body, with little yellow around the eyes.
He is the largest macaw and largest flying parrot species. Some people mistake it with the smaller Lear’s macaw.
As with other parrots and macaws, these bird species have taken a heavy toll on their population due to habitat loss. They are now classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conversation of Nature’s Red List.
Unlike other macaws, the hyacinth is calmer. Many fans recognize him as the gentle giant.
Atlantic Puffin
Also known as the common puffin, these bird species of sea bird is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean. His related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin can be found in the northeastern Pacific.
The Atlantic puffin breeds in Iceland, Norway, Nova Scotia, and the Faroe Islands. He has a large and wide population range, but the species has declined rapidly. He is now listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
When he is at land, he has the typical upright stance of an auk. And then, when he goes at sea, he swims on the surface and feeds mainly on small fish. The Atlantic puffin hunts by diving underwater and using his wings for propulsion.
