For this list, we are embarking on a global bird watching trip. Nature has blessed us with beauty coming in all forms and birds definitely rank high among others. There are estimated to be more than 10,000 bird species around the world and we will be counting down the top 10 most colorful birds. So sit back and appreciate the most beautiful and colorful birds and don’t forget to comment on which one is your favourite,
Colorful Birds
1. RED-NECKED TANAGER
Considered to be the most colourful bird in the world, the Red Necked tanager is native to Eastern and parts of Southern America. Displaying an incredible array of colours, this bird top our list with its very bright, yellow-orange wings, glistening red chin, a broad blue crown and green body underneath. They make their nests in a canopy of forests and shed their gorgeous feathers once every year. Also, read about the most beautiful white birds in the world.
Talking abuy the appearance, the bird species has a bright grass green underparts with an amazing carlet-red chin that broadens over the cheeks, nape and nape. The crown and that is dark blue with orange-yellow wing coverts. There are three species of Red-necked Tanager that mainly differentiate because of the throat patch and in the details of the colouration of the head. It is mostly seen in the small groups of upto 3 t0 4 individuals and regularly joins midstory and subcanopy mixed-species flocks. Both males and female have are beautifully coloured, however, females are little duller.
Also read: 10 Most Dangerous Birds in the World
Image Source: Wikimedia
2. PEACOCK
One of the most beautiful Indian animals in the world, Peacocks belong to the pheasant family and the male species are one of the most colorful birds in the world. They are famous for exhibiting a fan of a beautiful mixture of sapphire and green feathers to attract its mate. They are found in India, Sri Lanka and other parts of Southeast Asia. A group of peacocks are known as an ‘ostentation’ (which means being showy and impressive) and they have the goods to back that up.
The male species are more colorful and known as the peacock, however, females are known as a peahen. The beautiful and coloured tails are characteristic only for the males. The largest flying bird can reach upto 5 feet and weighs approximately 8-13 pounds. The bird species are omnivores and love to eat insects, arthropods, amphibians, flowers, seeds…etc. The peafowl can live upto 20 years both in the wild and in the captivity. The predators of the bird species are mainly tigers, leopards, mongoose and in the sense of danger, they fly and hide into the trees.
Also Read: 11 Birds With Most Amazing Beaks
3. MANDARIN DUCK
Mandarin ducks can be recognized at once because of its unbelievable combination of dazzling colours. The males display more colourful feathers than the females which are predominantly brown in colour with a white eye ring. This duck is native to Japan and is also a symbol of love and marriage.
The medium size bird species can grow upto 8 to 10 inches in length and weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds. The most beautiful and colorful birds have a beautiful plumage with a combination of white, black, grey, creamy, orange and green colours. The beak is red with a white tip and males can be easily distinguished from females because they are brightly coloured. Its love to spend a lot of time into the water and webbed feet helps to paddle through the water. The main predators are racoons, minks, otters, eagles and snakes. The bird species can survive 12 years in captivity.
Also Read: 10 Most Colorful Animals In The World
4. GOLDEN PHEASANT
These colorful bird species are found in the dense forest and woodland across Western and Southern China. Golden pheasants are famous for their extravagant plumage. They have a beautiful golden-yellow body with just a hint of red. In this case, the females are considered more beautiful than the males with distinctive breast and flanks and also striking black stripes on its tail. One of the most beautiful birds in the world do not want to fly much and spend most of their time on the ground. This bird is also often hunted for sport due to which they are endangered in the recent past.
Both males and females look different in appearance, however, females are slightly smaller in size with 60 – 80 centimetres in length and males being 90 – 105 centimetres in length. The male species can be easily identified by their bright colouring and the golden crest that tipped with red which extends from the top of their heads, down their necks. The female species are less colorful and little duller than males. It mainly creates its habitat into dense forests and woodlands and sparse undergrowth and mainly feeds on grain, invertebrates, berries, grubs and seeds as well as other kinds of vegetation.
Also Read: Top 10 Animals to Draw
5. FLAMINGO
One of the longest migratory birds in the world is as incredibly beautiful as they are incredibly unique and they probably the most recognizable wading bird in the world. The Flamingos get their trademark pink colour from the food they eat: algae and shrimps. This special colour is what makes them so special. They are 6 different species of Flamingo and are found throughout the world apart from Antarctica. They have special glands in their plumage which help them keep their feathers exquisite and in shape. It is one of the beautiful pink animals in the world.
The bird species lives in shallow lakes, mangrove swamps and sandy islands of Africa, Asia, America and Europe. The adult Flamingo can grow upto 3.3 – 4.6 feet tall and weighs approximately 3.3 – 9 pounds. The colour of the feather is a result of pigments in their food known as carotenoids that is the primary reason for red and pink colours of their feathers. The bird species are monogamous that means they will have just one partner and lay one egg each year. They have a lifespan between 20 and 30 years.
6. BLUE JAY
Blue jays are known to be very wise, gorgeous and aggressive birds. They are found majorly in Central and Eastern America. The Blue jays have breath-taking blue and white feathers with a hint of black on its body. They get their name because of its radiant blue coloured feathers and its famous ‘jay jay’ like calls and they can also imitate the mating calls of other bird species.
7. KEEL BILLED TOUCAN
This bird’s got the features and it flaunts it! This bird’s most distinguished and impressive feature is, of course, its beak which can reach up to 20 cm in length. Its beak is edged with a tinge of blue and orange and tipped n cherry red, gorgeously set against the Rainforests where these birds love to frequent. Its plumage is mostly black with a yellow bib in the front. They use their large, colourful beaks to exert influence on the females during the mating season and this beak can also act as a defensive weapon. They are very social birds and generally live in flocks of 10 to 20.
8. The MACAW
Parrots offer all kinds of different colours for us to admire. One of the most beautiful parrots the Macaws come in multiple hues within their own species like green, scarlet, blue and gold and even the hyacinth which is the biggest in the family. The Hyacinth macaw is well known for its striking cobalt blue feather with a bright yellow ring around its eye. These vibrantly coloured birds are often associated with all places warm and sunny. Have in mind, they belong to the parrot family which means they are capable of learning and imitating other birds’ calls and even human speech. Yes, beauty and brains? They got both. Macaws are one of the longest living animals in the world.
9. KINGFISHER
Kingfishers are probably the hardest birds in the world to get on tape. Found almost all over the globe, these birds are extremely good at what they and what they do is a hunt for fishes. They are pretty small birds with long beaks and bulky bodies which makes them the masters of fishing. There are around 90 different species of kingfishers and the most common one has a colour combination of teal and rust. There is almost nothing as stylish and agile as a kingfisher in flight, diving into the water with a fixed eye on its prey.
10. BLUE CROWNED PIGEON
This is far from any other normal pigeon as it has a vibrant blue plumage and it is the largest pigeon in the world and can grow up to the size of a turkey! It is also known as the Western Crowned Pigeon. This pigeon has blue-grey crests on top of its head and a blue mask around its eyes. This species may also sometimes found to be partially or completely black. They are generally found in marshy and partially flooded forests and sometimes in mountainous forests as well.
11. Wilson’s Bird of Paradise
The small cute bird can only be seen on Waigeo and Batanta, an island in Indonesia. The bird species loves to thrive in lowland rainforests, however, oy can also survive in the mountain forests on the higher altitudes. The species is threatened because of habitat destruction as a result of logging and forest fires. The small bird can grow upto 6.3 inches in length and weight approximately 1.8 to 2.2 ounces but the good part is that both male and female species are of the same size, however, both male and female are of different coloured. This phenomenon is known as sexual dimorphism. The average lifespan of the species is still unknown.
Image Source: Wikimedia
12. Lilac Breasted Roller
The member of the roller family of birds also known as Coraciidae. Talking about the appearance, they had a large green head with a heavy beak. The chin is white with a white or yellow band above the eyes and beak. Both males and females are of the same colouring. Also known as the “rainbow roller, they are mostly seen in 8 colours such as green, white, black, yellow, turquoise, dark blue, reddish brown, and of course lilac. This makes her one of the most colorful birds in the world.
13. Red-billed Blue Magpie
Scientifically known as Urocissa erythrorhyncha, The Red-billed Blue Magpie belongs to the crow family Corvidae. The size is similar to the European Magpie, howvever, Blue Magpie has a much longer tail. Talking about the appearance, the head, neck and breast are black with a bluish spotting on the crown. The shoulders and rump are of blue color and the underparts are greyish cream. They take a wide variety of foods such as invertebrates, other small animals, and fruit and some seeds. One of the most colorful birds mostly seen in the western Himalayas, eastwards into China and Vietnam in evergreen forest and scrub in predominantly hilly or mountainous country.
Image Source: Wikimedia
14. Nicobar Pigeon
One of the largest Pigeon is also known as vulturine pigeon, hackled pigeon, or white-tailed pigeon. Because of its beautiful plumage, it is considered as the close relative of the dodo and hence listed as one of the most colorful birds in the world. They are mostly seen on the Andaman and Nicobar islands in Southeast Asia, howvever, they try there best to maintain distance from the humans and other predatory mammals as well. These species are quite different from other pigeons and doves.
Image Source: Wikimedia
15. Resplendent Quetzal
One of the most colorful birds belongs to the trogon family and mostly seen from Chiapas, Mexico to western Panama. Talking about the appearance, It has a colorful plumage and has two subspecies namely, P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis. The national bird of Guatemala and image is shown in the country’s national flag and lends its name to the country’s currency, the Guatemalan quetzal. The bird species can grow upto to 36 to 40 cm long plus upto 65 cm (26 in) of tail streamer for the male and weight approximately 210 g.
Image Source: Wikimedia
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are over 10,000 bird species. If you think there are other colorful birds which make the cut for the top ten list, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. These are the colorful birds in the world. Do post your comments.
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