I’ll admit that this list of some of the most beautiful birds in the world is completely subjective. In other words, I’ve just picked some of the birds that appeal most to me! Given that there are about 10,000 species of birds in the world, I can’t claim to have learned about more than a fraction of them.
However, since January 5 is National Bird Day in the United States, I figured it was as good a time as any to roam across the Internet to learn more about pretty birds around the world. Read on to see whether you agree with my picks!
P.S.: If you love learning about birds, I highly recommend the eBird website, run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University. It’s a user-friendly database packed with photos, videos, audio recordings and more avian information than you can shake a feather at.
Lesser violetear
These jewel-like hummingbirds are found in a range across Central and South America, from Costa Rica in the north to Venezuela in the east and Bolivia in the south. They get their name, naturally enough, from the blue or purple patches on their cheeks. Even though they’re considered “medium-sized” hummingbirds, they’re still tiny, maxing out at roughly an inch (2.5cm) long and 0.2 ounces (5.6 grams).
Western tanager
Common across much of North and Central America, particularly the western half, the western tanager is found mainly in forests. As is usually the case with birds, breeding males are the glamorous ones, looking a bit like a goldfinch whose head has been dipped in red paint. Younger birds and females aren’t nearly as colorful.
Woodland kingfisher
This bright-blue little kingfisher is common across parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It hangs out in forests, eating insects and nesting in acacias and other trees. It looks cute, but it won’t hesitate to defend its turf against interlopers, including people.
Rainbow lorikeet
On a trip to Australia, I once woke my husband out of a sound sleep early one morning just to see a flock of these birds. He was suitably impressed, until we both realized that they are widely distributed across much of eastern Australia. Common or not, rainbow lorikeets still among the most beautiful birds in the world in my book.
Emperor penguin
Honestly, I could have chosen any penguin species. I love them all. However, brilliant orange markings and adorably fluffy chicks landed the emperor penguin on my list of gorgeous birds. If you want to see one (outside of a zoo), prepare yourself for a long trip; they’re found only in Antarctica.
Indian peafowl
One of the things I love most about research is discovering totally unexpected things. You know that bird that most of us think of as a “peacock”? Look up “peacock” on eBird and you’ll find lots of beautiful birds, but not the bird pictured above. It’s actually called an Indian peafowl. Somebody tell NBC!
Also, I included the Indian peafowl mainly because it seemed wrong to write a list of lovely birds and not include it. I’d feel like Rolling Stone leaving Madonna, Nat King Cole and Jennifer Hudson off its 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list. Just sayin’.
Mandarin duck
This gorgeous duck sort of looks like it was cobbled together from the coolest parts of lots of other ducks. Native to East Asia, mandarin ducks are now also found in the U.K., Ireland, Western Europe and parts of North America. They were imported to prettify park ponds, then some of them escaped and became feral.
Blue-and-yellow macaw
You can listen for the distinctive, throaty calls of these colorful birds in savannas and lowland rainforests across the northern half of South America, as well as eastern Panama. Members of the parrot family, they usually mate for life and nest in dead palm trees. Also known as blue-and-gold macaws, they live roughly 30 to 35 years in the wild.
American cardinal
In eastern North America, the American Southwest and even Mexico, it’s easy to get a bit blasé about northern cardinals. After all, they’re frequent visitors to almost every backyard bird feeder. But take a closer look; from the cool black mask and the fluffy head crest to the male’s brilliant red feathers, they’re worthy members of any “beautiful birds of the world” list. I’m even partial to the more delicately coloured females, with their red beaks and the dustings of red on their crests, wings and tails.
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