TOP-30 Most Beautiful Birds in the World: Photos and Descriptions

There are so many beautiful creatures on our planet that it would take forever to list them all. This article has compiled a list of 30 of the most beautiful and famous birds in the world with photos and descriptions.

30. Quetzal

Quetzal

This beautifully colored bird of the order Trogoniformes is found in the forests and mountain woodlands of Central America, from southern Mexico to Panama.

Quetzal - quite big birds, grow up to 35 centimeters in length, not counting the tail. They feed on fruits, berries, insects and small frogs. Quetzals have unique toe placement: two toes point forward and two toes point backward, which helps the bird stay high in trees.

29. Mandarin

Mandarin duck

This is a species of duck that lives in China and Japan, also known as the "Mandarin duck" and "Chinese duck". A small number of Mandarin ducks are found in Primorye. However, hunting them is prohibited, these ducks are listed in the Red Book as a rare species.

In China, there is a saying about a couple in love being "like mandarin ducks playing in the water." These beautiful birds are considered one of the symbols of love and fidelity for life.

28. Green-headed Tanager

Green-headed Tanager

This small, colorful bird is a true ninja, capable of sneaking unnoticed among tropical foliage. This is facilitated by the bright blue-green plumage of the green-headed tanager. However, while ninjas usually act alone, tanagers are family creatures and travel in large groups of 6 to 20 individuals.

27. Kingfisher

Kingfisher

A true misanthrope of the bird world. Other birds kingfisher does not like them and tries to stay away from them. And he is very demanding of his habitat. There must be a clean, not deep and not shallow body of water with running water, with a cliff and overgrown banks.

If you look at the plumage of a kingfisher up close, you won't believe that it is one of the most beautiful birds in the world. The reason for the brightness of the plumage is that the feathers refract light.

26. Peacock

Peacock

This large and beautiful bird belongs to the pheasant family. And its fan-shaped tail is as beautiful as its voice is disgusting.

25. Crowned Pigeon

Crowned Pigeon

This stunningly beautiful bird is native to the lowland and swamp forests of northern New Guinea. Crowned pigeons are typically found in areas that were formerly alluvial plains and sago forests.

Its closest relative is the common rock pigeon, which has earned the nickname “feathered rat” and is found in abundance in any city in Russia.

24. Maned Pigeon

Maned Pigeon

One of the largest species of pigeons and the only surviving member of the genus Maned Pigeon.

These birds feed on a variety of seeds, fruits and small invertebrates and have a muscular stomach that allows them to eat nuts with very hard shells.

Scientists at Oxford University have discovered that the maned pigeon is the closest living relative of the extinct dodo. If you put a stuffed dodo, with its huge nose, unsightly body, short legs, and an elegant, brightly colored maned pigeon by Mother Nature, you would never believe that these two have any connection to each other. However, DNA analysis will not lie.

23. Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting

A small songbird with spectacular coloring has a very secretive nature. It is difficult to see and even more difficult to hear. Moreover, it is the males who do the vocals, at least they are usually observed singing.

22. Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeet

Representatives of this species are among the most colorful birds in the world. Almost all the colors of the rainbow are represented in the plumage of these small Australian parrots, with the exception of purple.

21. Lesser Bird of Paradise

Lesser Bird of Paradise

Like many other species of the most beautiful birds in the world, the lesser birds of paradise have a strong sexual dimorphism. That is, males and females have anatomical differences. In this case, this means that only males can boast bright plumage and a wide tail, while females are “dressed” modestly, in brown plumage.

20. Green-headed Oriole

Green-headed Oriole

This little bird weighs only 65 grams, it should be added to the rating the smallest birds, but there is even less in it. Its head, back and chest are olive-green, its belly is yellow, its feet are blue, and its beak and eyes are brown-red.

Orioles are songbirds, and the melody of their voice is compared to the sound of a flute. However, before the rain, the melodic singing of the oriole becomes similar to the meowing of a cat.

19. Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Famous for the crown-like arrangement of its feathers on its head, the hoopoe bird is the only surviving species of the Hoopoe family (Upipidae).

These birds have an interesting feature: during the period of hatching chicks, hoopoes produce an oily liquid with a very unpleasant smell. In case of an attack by an enemy, the hoopoe shoots this liquid at him along with the droppings. Because of this, hoopoes have a reputation as "unclean birds". But they are beautiful!

18. Long-tailed Velvet Weaver

Long-tailed Velvet Weaver

This strikingly beautiful bird species is found in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and southern Zaire. They live in groups of one or two males and more females.

The tail of the velvet weaver reaches 60 cm in length, while the body size does not exceed 19 cm.

17. Red-crested Turaco

Red-crested Turaco

This bird with a red crest on its head has interestingly designed toes. They can move both forward and backward. Thanks to this, the red-crested turaco is an excellent tree climber.

16. Blue Jay

Blue Jay

If you were given a photo of the most beautiful birds in the world and asked to guess which one was the most "hooligan" of them, would you choose the blue jay? These little birds are real bullies, often stealing food from other small birds and chasing them between trees. They also easily learn to imitate sounds, imitating the cries of birds of prey to scare off their enemies.

15. Hyacinth Macaw

Hyacinth Macaw

There are many handsome and beautiful birds among the parrot family. And the hyacinth macaw is no exception. Large, strong birds with powerful beaks have cobalt-blue plumage, and around the eyes and at the base of the mandible, a golden-yellow color is visible. These parrots are easily tamed and get along well with people.

14. Flamingo

Flamingo

Have you ever wondered why flamingos are pink? The color of these beautiful birds is determined by their diet. Initially, the color of flamingo plumage is dirty white. But the more the bird eats algae and other food containing carotenoids (natural dyes), the brighter its feathers become. If the flamingo stops eating food with carotenoids, its plumage acquires its original color.

13. Toucan

Toucan

The distinctive feature of this bird is its huge, brightly colored beak, which can grow to one-third or even half of the toucan's 50-centimeter body. Although the beak is quite light due to its porous structure, it disrupts the proportions of the body, making it difficult for the toucan to maintain balance and fly. Truly, beauty requires sacrifice!

12. Sun conure

Sun conure

The fiery yellow coloring of the parrot makes it very popular among exotic bird lovers. Nimble, cheerful birds are really sunny, they are very sensitive to cold and drafts.

11. Anna's Calypta

Calypta Anna

This beautiful little bird is no bigger than a ping-pong ball. The species was named after Anne Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli, who was the wife of the 19th-century French officer, politician, and ornithologist Duke Victor Masséna.

10. Dead End

Dead end

The Russian name "tupik" comes from the word "stupid". However, it is not associated with the bird's mental abilities, but with the massive rounded shape of its beak.

9. Waxwing

Waxwing

These birds do not stand out with such bright colors of feathers as other most beautiful birds of the world, but on closer inspection their elegance becomes obvious. The bizarre crest gives waxwings a slightly funny look. The birds got their name for the sounds they make ("swi-ri-ri-ri-ri"), reminiscent of the sound of a flute.

8. Gouldian finch

Gouldian finch

A worthy rival of the rainbow lorikeet, it is generously painted in the brightest and most beautiful colors. The calm and non-aggressive Gouldian finch tolerates being kept in a cage and can become a living decoration for your home. There are nurseries in Russia that breed and sell these birds.

7. Pitta Gurney

Pitta Gurney

One of the world's rarest bird species is found only in Thailand and Burma. It is in danger of extinction as the rainforests that are home to "Thailand's most elusive bird" are rapidly being cleared to make way for palm oil production.

6. White-backed Lory

White-backed Lory

Once again, parrots are on the list of the most amazing and beautiful birds in the world. Their coloring varies from pale yellow to fiery orange tones. White-backed lorikeets are very social and intelligent creatures, they can learn human speech.

5. Eastern Crowned Crane

Eastern Crowned Crane

A long elegant neck, a red throat pouch, and most importantly, a luxurious golden crest on the head - these are the distinctive features of this beautiful crane.

Like other crane species, the Oriental Crowned Crane performs a complex mating dance that involves flapping its wings, shaking its head, and bowing deeply.

4. Lyra

Great Lyre Bird

The ornate tail feathers of this bird resemble a stringed musical instrument known as a lyre. The lyre bird is famous not only for its luxurious tail, but also for its ability to imitate sounds. It can even imitate the noise of a chainsaw.

3. Cuban Todi

Cuban Todi

The tody, which measures 11 cm in length and weighs no more than 8.5 grams, builds 30-centimeter burrows in loamy or sandy riverbanks. And, proving that size is not the main thing, it can be aggressive toward other insectivorous birds, such as the blue-backed warbler.

2. Racket-tailed Hummingbird

Racket-tailed Hummingbird

Watching this wonderful tiny hummingbird, it is easy to imagine how fairy tales and myths about birds were created. The racket-tailed hummingbird rushes through the air faster than the human eye can follow, and seems like a blur of color flashing through the air.

1. Golden Pheasant

Golden Pheasant, a beautiful bird

The golden pheasant's homeland is the mountainous regions of western China. They are very clumsy flyers, so they prefer to run and spend most of their time on the ground. Because of their beauty, golden pheasants are one of the most popular ornamental birds in the world.

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Despite their striking appearance, golden pheasants are rather shy birds and like to hide in dark, dense thickets.