The Most Colorful Birds From Around The World
10. Greater bird-of-paradise
The greater bird-of-paradise has uniquely colored plumage. The males have a maroon body, an iridescent green face, and a light yellow with a silver iridescent crown. Their long tail feathers are yellow at the base, white at the tip, and streaked with maroon color. In both males and females, the eyes are yellow and beaks are blue. Males grow to 17 inches long. This bird species lives in the lowland and hill forests of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Aru Islands.
9. Wilson's bird-of-paradise
The Wilson’s bird-of-paradise can grow to approximately 8.3 inches. The male is the most colorful, with a scarlet and black body. Its head is a bright light-blue color with a black pattern and no feathers. The back of its neck is covered in bright yellow feathers, and its feet are a dark blue. Its tail feathers are thin and split open into two curls. This bird species is endemic to Indonesia, found only in the lowland and hill rainforests of Waigeo and Batanta islands. Wilson’s bird-of-paradise is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List. The biggest threat to its survival is habitat loss within its limited range.
8. Splendid Fairy Wren
The splendid fairywren, also known as the splendid wren, can grow up to 5.5 inches long. The breeding males have a bright blue color, purplish-blue throat, and dark blue wings and tail. They have black markings on their chest and eyes and have a black bill. When not breeding, the male is brown with bluish-colored wings and tail. The female is similar in appearance to the non-breeding male except the beak is a dark reddish-brown color. This bird species prefers arid to semi-arid habitats and is found across much of the mainland of Australia.
7. Indian Peafowl
The Indian peafowl is a South Asian native. This species prefers moist and dry-deciduous forest habitats. Humans have introduced it to many countries across the world. The Indian peafowl is a relatively large bird that can grow approximately 39 to 45 inches from beak to tail base and 77 to 89 inches when including the tail. The male is the most striking and has an iridescent indigo colored head. Its back feathers are a bronze color. Its tail is one of the most stunning of all bird species. It opens into a large fan shape, and the tips of the long feathers have a green, yellow, and blue spot that resembles an eye.
6. Lilac-breasted Roller
The lilac-breasted roller is a small, brightly colored bird that can be found sub-Saharan Africa and the southern region of the Arabian peninsula. These birds have a lilac-colored throat and chest, light blue-colored body, dark blue feathers at the wing base, and black markings on its wing tips. Males and females are similar in appearance.
5. Red-bearded Bee Eater
The red-bearded bee-eater lives in the Indo-Malayan region of Southeast Asia in dense forest habitats. The male and female are similar in appearance. They have a bright green body, red throat and chest, light purple forehead, and yellowish-orange eyes. As its name suggests, its diet consists mainly of bees, hornets, and wasps.
4. Lady Gouldian Finch
The Lady Gouldian finch is a small, multi-colored bird. Both sexes are covered in green, yellow, blue, purple, red, and black. They are endemic to Australia, preferring tropical savanna woodland habitats in the northern part of the country. In 1992, it was classified as endangered in the wild with less than 2,500 specimens. This bird is, however, popular with people and in the late 1990’s, there were over 13,000 in captivity.
3. Toucan
The toucan bird is perhaps one of the most recognizable due to its colorful and very large bill. The largest of these species can grow to 29 inches and weigh up to 1.5 pounds. Its body is usually black with a white throat and chest. Orange feathers can be found around its eyes. It can be found in woodlands and savannas throughout central and eastern South America.
2. Mandarin Duck
The Mandarin duck is found in East Asia. Some species have escaped from private collections, forming wild populations in both the UK and the US. The female is less colorful than the male. The male has a red bill, large white arch over its eyes, and reddish-brown colored face. Its breast is purple, chest and stomach white, and it has orange on its back.
1. Scarlet Macaw
The scarlet macaw is a large parrot species. It can grow 32 inches long and weigh up to 2.2 pounds. Mainly red in color, it also has blue wings with a yellow band on the upper wing. Its eyes are surrounded by featherless, white skin. The scarlet macaw can be found in the Amazon Basin of South America and across Central America. It prefers subtropical rainforests near rivers.
