Nature does not stop surprising us as more and more species of different animals are discovered around the world. Among these are exotic and special birds that over the years have become a focus of interest for scientists, researchers, and bird watchers alike, thanks to the variety and unique appearance of these winged creatures.
On Earth, we can meet birds of many different colors, from ones that look like tiny cotton balls to ones that wear almost all shades of the rainbow on their feathers. We just can’t stop thinking about how much nature loves to experiment with their coats, so we suggest you admire some of their most incredible looks together. We would like to share 16 photos of gorgeous birds that will satisfy your hunger for beauty.
Frill-necked Monarch: The Frill-necked monarch (Arses lorealis), is a species of monarch flycatcher in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to the rainforests of the northern Cape York Peninsula. It was considered a subspecies of the related frilled monarch (Arses telescophthalmus) for many years before being reclassified as a separate species in 1999 by Schodde and Mason, and upheld by Christidis and Boles in 2008. The frill-necked monarch measures around 14 cm (5.5 in) in length, and the neck feathers can become erect into a small frill; the male is predominantly black and white, and can be distinguished from the similar and more common pied monarch by its all-white breast-the latter species having a broad black breast band. The throat, nape, shoulders, and rump are white while the wings and head are black.
The range is the from the top of the Cape York Peninsula southwest to Weipa, and southeast as far as the Iron Range and Coen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Breeding season is November to February with one brood raised. The nest is a shallow cup made of vines and sticks, woven together with spider webs and shredded plant material, and decorated with lichen. It is generally sited on a hanging loop of vine well away from the trunk or foliage of a sizeable tree about 2–10 metres (6.6–32.8 ft) above the ground. Two pink-tinged oval white eggs splotched with lavender and reddish-brown are laid measuring 19 mm x 14 mm.
Sparkling Violetear: The sparkling violetear (Colibri coruscans) is a large species of hummingbird, which is very vocal and territorial. The sparkling violetear is quite frequently seen in a wide range of semi-open habitats including gardens and parks within major cities. Quito in Ecuador is one place where this bird is seen and it is the commonest species of hummingbird in its range. The sparkling violetear is found in widespread populations across the highlands of northern and western South America, including the Andes, the Venezuelan Coastal Range, and the tepuis. The sparkling violetear is a hummingbird of the Trochilidae family. It is part of the Colibri genus, a part of this family, that has four known species, namely the sparkling violetear, brown violetear, white-vented violetear, and green violetear.
Tawny-flanked Prinia: It is usually the call of this small bird that first draws attention, as it is at first sight rather unremarkable to look at and usually blends pretty much unseen into the dusty grasses and bushes. They are quick movers, and don’t sit around waiting to be observed and described – except perhaps when singing their hearts out.
White-whiskered Laughingthrush or Formosan Laughingthrush (Garrulax morrisonianus): The white-whiskered laughingthrush or Formosan laughing thrush (Garrulax morrisonianus) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to montane forests of the island of Taiwan. White-whiskered laughingthrush is a large (26 to 28 cm (10 to 11 in) long) laughingthrush with a distinctive face pattern. The bill is thrush-like and yellowish to horn-colored. The eyes are black. The legs are strong and brownish pink. The mean body weight is about 77 grams (2.7 oz). It is a sociable species that often occurs in large groups. It is not necessarily afraid of humans. White-whiskered laughingthrush is a somewhat common species in Taiwan, with an estimated population size between 10,000 and 100,000 breeding pairs. Although its population is believed to be decreasing because of habitat destruction and fragmentation, it is not considered a vulnerable species.
Green Bee-eater: Bee-eaters comprise a group of graceful, brightly coloured, slender bodied, long billed birds in the family Meropidae. They eat a variety of winged insects including bees, wasps, flying beetles and dragonflies. Bee-eaters congregate at high, open perches – particularly dead trees in open countryside, riverine areas or forest edge. From their vantage point their sharp eyes can easily spot insect prey, which is always caught on the wing. Southeast Asia’s bee-eaters typically nest in burrows excavated in sandy cliff faces, or in bare ground, but have also been observed nesting in man-made, abandoned piles of sandy soil. The Red-bearded Bee-eater Nyctornis amictus, is known to nest in termite mounds. Bee-eaters reach their greatest diversity in Africa, however eight species of bee-eater occur within Southeast Asia either as residents or migrants.
Grey-rumped Treeswift: The grey-rumped treeswift (Hemiprocne longipennis) is a species of bird in the Hemiprocnidae family. Currently, four extant species are placed in the family. Like the other members of the Hemiprocnidae, this species is closely related to true swifts, but unlike true swifts, the treeswifts are arboreal in nature, often seen perched on trees and high-tension power transmission lines, and on pylons. When perched, the wing tips cross over the tail. This species is commonly found in peninsular Malaysia, but has an extremely large range with limited information about the population trend.
Fairy Wren: With its gleaming, velvety blue-and-black plumage, the male Superb Fairy-wren is easily distinguished. These ‘coloured’ males are often accompanied by a band of brown ‘jenny wrens’, often assumed to be a harem of females, but a proportion of them are males which have not yet attained their breeding plumage. The contents of these birds’ untidy nests — a clutch of three or four eggs — are not necessarily the progeny of the ‘coloured’ male, as there is much infidelity among female fairy-wrens, with many eggs resulting from extra-pair liaisons. Superb Fairy-wrens are found south of the Tropic of Capricorn through eastern Australia and Tasmania to the south-eastern corner of South Australia. Seen in most habitat types where suitable dense cover and low shrubs occur. They are common in urban parks and gardens, and can be seen in small social groups. These groups normally consist of one male and several females and young birds.
Horned Sungem: This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Long-tailed Tit: The bird is widely distributed throughout the temperate zones of the Eurasian Continent. Because of the white plumage on its belly, it is also called by the silver-throated tit. It has a tiny, chubby body that is only 13-15 centimeters long (which includes its tail of about seven-nine centimeters) and a stubby bill. The long-tailed tit mainly feeds on eggs and the larvae of insects like moths and butterflies. Currently, it is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN, which means it is under little or no threat, though there were some population losses due to extreme cold weather before. Let’s take a look at this lovely creature.
Bare-throated Tiger Heron: The Bare-throated Tiger-Heron occurs in coastal Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. The Bare-throated Tiger-Heron is a medium cryptically colored heron, with a green face and throat. The crown and nape are black. The side of the head is grey. The upper bill is black with a blue horn cutting edge and the lower bill dull yellow. The irises are yellow to silver. The lores, skin around the eye, and featherless throat are yellow green, this color running onto the lower bill. A black line runs from the eye to the throat. The front of the neck is tawny and white striped. The hind neck is finely barred in brown and buff. The back is dark olive brown with very fine buff vermiculation. Flight feathers are black. Under parts are cinnamon and thighs are grey. The legs are dark grey olive to slate green. During nesting the bare throat may become bright yellow to orange. Nothing is known of the population size or trends of this species. It is widespread throughout its range. It is reported to be or have been common in Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica; rare to uncommon and perhaps declining in Panama (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989); and possibly at risk in north Colombia (Kushlan and Hafner 2000).
Stellar’s Jay: The Steller’s Jay is a striking bird with deep blue and black plumage and a long, shaggy crest. The front of its body is black, and the rear is deep blue. The black extends midway down its back and down its breast. It has faint, dark barring on its wings. Adults have blue vertical ‘eyebrows’ above each eye. The juvenile appears similar to the adult, but has a slightly browner head and lacks the blue eyebrows of the adult. The inland form has a small white patch over the eye. The Steller’s Jay uses mud in the construction of their nests. Steller’s and Blue jays are the only North American jays with crests. Steller’s and Blue jays occasionally interbreed and produce hybrids. The feathers have a banding pattern (click the feather to view larger image). Jays will come to bird feeders and take peanuts. They will stuff 1-2 peanuts in their crops (a sac in the throat where food is stored for digestion) before they fly away. Jays will cache (store in ground)nuts to eat during the winter. They will put a leaf or piece of material to mark the location but forget where they store all of them. Their “forgetfulness” allows the nuts to germinate and grow into young trees.
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