You are on page 1of 22

| 

The 20 Most Brilliantly Colored Birds


in the World
j Birds are the only animals with feathers. All
have feathers and most birds can fly. It is the
possession of feathers, not the ability to fly,
that distinguishes birds from other animals.
j There are about 10,000 species of birds from
all over the world. Here are 20 of the world's
most colorful birds.
1.Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus
pictus)
j The golden pheasant
of Asia is a brilliantly
colored game bird.
j It is native to forests
in mountainous areas
of western China but
feral populations
have been
established in the
United Kingdom and
elsewhere.
2.Birds of Paradise (Paradisaeidae)

j The greater bird of paradise


found in New Guinea has
elongated flank feathers that
form ornamental plumes. Bird
of Paradise is a tropical bird
known for the brilliant
plumage of the male. They
live mostly in New Guinea
and neighboring islands.
j The brilliantly colored
feathers of the male were
once widely sought as
decorations for women's hat.
. Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus
hyacinthinus)
j Hyacinth Macaws are native to
central and eastern South
America . It is the largest macaw
and the largest flying parrot
species in the world, though the
flightless Kakapo of New
Zealand can outweigh it at up to
.5kg. In terms of length it is
larger than any other species of
parrot. Their popularity as pets
has taken a heavy toll on their
population in the wild. Birds in
captivity fetch a price of around
$9,000-$12,000 US.
s. Flamingo (Phoenicopteridae)
j Flamingos are found in both
the Western Hemisphere and
Eastern Hemisphere .
j Flamingos frequently stand on
one leg. The reason for this
behavior is not fully known.
j Flamingo tongues were
considered a delicacy in
Ancient Rome.
j Also, Andean miners have
killed flamingos for their fat,
believed to be a cure for
tuberculosis
5. Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)
j The scarlet tanager is a
medium-sized American
songbird.
j Adult males are bright
red with black wings and
tail; females are
yellowish on the
underpants and olive on
top, with olive-brown
wings and tail.
Š. Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula)
j Northern oriole is
formerly known as
Baltimore oriole in the
east and Bullock's oriole
in the west. This is a
small icterid blackbird
which is 18 cm long and
weighs s g. It is one of
the brightest local birds
and has a voice to match
its distinctive plumage.
„. Mountain Bluebird (Sialia
currucoides)
j The bluebirds are
medium-sized, mostly
insectivorous or
omnivorous birds in the
genus Sialia of the thrush
family Turdidae. These
are attractive birds with
blue, or blue and red,
plumage. Female birds
are less brightly colored
than males.
8. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis
cardinalis)
j The northern cardinal is
also known as the Redbird
and the Virginia
nightingale. The Northern
Cardinal is a mid-sized
songbird with a body
length of 21-2 cm (8. to 9
inches). It has a distinctive
crest on the head and a
mask on the face which is
black in the male and gray
in the female.
9. American Goldfinch (Carduelis
tristis)
j The American goldfinch
is also known as the
Eastern Goldfinch and
Wild Canary. The male
displays brightly colored
plumage during the
breeding season to
attract a mate. The
courtship rituals of the
American Goldfinch
include aerial maneuvers
and singing by males.
10. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
j The Wood Duck or Carolina
Duck is a medium-sized
perching duck. A typical
adult is about 19 inches in
length with an average
wingspan of 29 inches. The
adult male has distinctive
multi-colored iridescent
plumage and red eyes. The
female, less colorful, has a
white eye-ring and a
whitish throat.
11.Kingfisher (Halcyonidae)
j There are about 90
species of kingfisher.
All have large heads,
long, sharp, pointed
bills, short legs, and
stubby tails. They are
found throughout the
world.
12.Green Wing Macaw Parrot (Ara
chloroptera)
j The superficially similar
Scarlet Macaw has no eye
lines and a yellow bar on
each wing. Some macaw
owners and experts call the
Green-winged Macaw the
"gentle giant", as it is larger
in size than the Scarlet
Macaw and Blue-and-
yellow Macaw, but have a
more docile, sweet nature
which often makes it a
more desirable pet or
companion parrot.
1.Troupial (Icterus icterus)
j Troupial or trupial is the national
bird of Venezuela . The Troupial
is fairly large in size, with a long
tail and a bulky bill. It has a black
head and upper breast. Troupials
are obligate nest pirates,
meaning they make no nest of
their own, and are thus required
to steal or occupy a vacant nest
in order to survive. Troupials are
capable of violent attacks against
native nesters, and once they
possess these territories they
defend them fiercely against
intruders. They may even ingest
the eggs or young hatchlings of a
newly acquired nest.
1s.Blue Throated Bee-Eater (Merops
viridis)
j The bee-eaters are a group
of near passerine birds in
the family Meropidae. They
are characterized by richly
colored plumage, slender
bodies and usually
elongated central tail
feathers. It is a species of
bird in the Meropidae
family. It is found in Hong
Kong , Taiwan , China and
countries in Southeast Asia
.
15. Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
j The male Painted
Bunting is often
described as the most
beautiful bird in North
America . Its beautiful
colors, dark blue head,
green back, red rump
and underparts, make
it easy to identify.
1Š.Keel-billed Toucans (Ramphastos
sulfuratus)
j This bird is the national
bird of Belize . Toucans
belong to family
Ramphastidae They are
brightly marked and have
large, colorful bills. It is also
known as Sulfur-breasted
Toucan, Rainbow-billed
Toucan, and colloquially
"the bill bird" (though this
might refer to any toucan).
It is a colorful South
American bird with a large
bill.
1„.Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus
haematodus)
j The Rainbow Lorikeet
is very colorful as its
name suggests. Almost
every color of the
rainbow is found on
the feathers of the
rainbow lorikeet.
Captive lorikeets have a
long lifespan, often in
excess of 20 years.
18. Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao )
j The Scarlet Macaw is a
large, colorful parrot. It
is native to humid
evergreen forests in the
American tropics, from
extreme eastern
Mexico locally to
Amazonian Peru and
Brazil . It's the national
bird of Honduras .
19.Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis
capensis)
j This is a stork-billed
kingfisher from South
India . Stork-billed
kingfisher is a tree
kingfisher which is
widely but sparsely
distributed in tropical
south Asia from India
and Sri Lanka to
Indonesia .
20.Peafowl or Peacock (Pavo)
j Peafowl, a large bird of the
pheasant family, is among
the most colorful of birds.
Asian peacocks have long
been domesticated. The
males are noted for their
display of brilliant
plumage. To attract
attention, during courtship
and at other times, the
male lifts the train and
spreads it out in a fan that
arches over the bird's back
and touches the ground on
either side.

You might also like