Finding the prettiest birds in the world can be a great reason to travel the world. The following birdwatching guide covers 9 different species of the prettiest birds that you should add to your life list. This article can inspire you to get out and do more birding overall.
This post is a birdwatching guide for 9 of the prettiest birds you can add to your life list.
Birdwatching Guide for 9 of the Prettiest Birds
1. Thick-Billed Green Pigeon
Here we have an exotic and beautiful type of pigeon. This species, the thick-billed green pigeon, is a colorful pigeon that is found from the Indian subcontinent, to the archipelagos of the Philippines and Indonesia.
This bird possesses lots of colors, not just green. Their wings are mostly brown with black and yellow towards the wingtips. In size they are small, even for pigeons. Their maximum size is 10 inches (25 centimeters) in length.
They are often spotted in pairs, flying through forest canopies. Thick-billed green pigeons primarily eat figs but also like fruits and berries.
2. Great Blue Turaco
There are lots of different turacos that could have made this list but the great blue turaco is the biggest, so I’m giving it a spot on the list.
Great blue turacos have yellow bills with red on the tip. The rest of their body is blue except the green on their lower breasts and lower tail and the brown on their legs. As the biggest species of turaco, they can reach 30 inches (76.2 centimeters) in length. In weight they can reach over 2.5 pounds.
Although its natural habitat is the forest, they can also be seen in areas with more sparse vegetation. They are most commonly found in the tropical rainforests of Africa. Their range includes Guinea, in west Africa to Sudan in the east.
Great blue turacos are social birds and will often be spotted with other great blue turacos. As herbivores, they can be found feeding on flowers and fruit.
3. Resplendent Quetzal
The resplendent quetzal, and other quetzals, are almost inarguably one of the prettiest birds in the entire world. Their colors are absolutely stunning! These birds are the largest members of the trogon family and are closely related to other birds you may know such as the elegant trogon.
This quetzal has gorgeous iridescence that make their green feathers appear shiny. This lets them blend in with leaves among the canopy of the rainforest. Resplendent quetzals can only be found in the rainforests of Central America. Panamá, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and southeast México are all home for this bird. Belize is the only country in this region that resplendent quetzals don’t frequent.
It’s no wonder that this bird is the national bird of Guatemala when it looks as stunning as this.
4. Cuban Trogon
The Cuban trogon is another trogon that deserves a spot on this list. This colorful bird has a blue crown and a metallic green back. Their lower bellies are red, with the rest of their body being white. They can be found on the island of Cuba along with several surrounding smaller islands.
Cuban trogons nest in holes and crevices that are already created for them, with woodpecker holes being the most common place to see them nesting.
The Cuban trogon has the same colors as the Cuban flag and is the national bird of Cuba.
5. Scarlet Macaw
You are probably already somewhat familiar with this bird, as it is popular in the pet trade. However, this doesn’t exclude it as one of the prettiest birds out there. Finding scarlet macaws and watching them in their natural habitat can provide a very different experience than seeing them in a cage or at the zoo.
This large parrot can be identified by their its size (32 inches or 81.2 centimeters) and their mix of bright red throughout their plumage along with the blue and yellow on their wings. Their faces have a bald, white patch around their eyes. Scarlet macaws are found in subtropical rainforests and open woodlands. Their range extends from the Amazon rainforest to Central America, including parts of southeastern Mexico.
Their brilliant colors will make spotting them in the wild, not the most difficult tasks.
6. Keel-Billed Toucan
We have another national bird to add to your life list. This time it’s a species of toucan. The keel-billed toucan is a beautiful species of toucan and the national bird of Belize. Like other types of toucans, they can be differentiated from non-toucans by their large and downward-curving bill.
This toucan is a perching bird that is arboreal. They can be observed eating fruit in trees with other toucans.
Their range can be seen below:
7. Mandarin Duck
This list wouldn’t be complete without a fancy species of duck! You may be familiar with this bird, as it is a common duck in zoos around the world.
The mandarin duck’s native range includes, eastern China, North and South Korea and Japan. They have introduced populations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.
Field markings for male mandarin duck include a white crescent around the eyes, a purple breast area, two vertical white bars on each side and a crest of purplish green on top of their heads.
8. Golden Pheasant
The golden pheasant is a medium-sized bird that can be found in the mountains of China. However, there are now established populations of them in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and other countries. You therefore don’t need to travel to China to see these birds in the wild, even if it’s not their natural range.
Golden Pheasants are a distinct-looking bird. Their maximum size is 41 inches (104 centimeters) in length, with the males being larger than the females. Much of their length is taken up by their tail however. Their coloration is very diverse with yellow, red, dark blue, light blue, black lines and spotted tails. The above picture will make it easy for you to identify them.
Like other pheasants, they can fly but do so rarely compared to other birds. They are more designed for running away from predators.
Due to their size and largely terrestrial behavior, this bird can remind you of the origin of birds; extinct theropod dinosaurs like the velociraptor and T-rex. They walk around like something from the cretaceous.
9. Western Tanager
If you don’t live in the United States, the western tanager is among the prettiest birds that can see if you visit.
Western tanagers are small songbirds that can be found throughout the western half of the United States. Their migration and breeding range extends south into majority of Mexico. Their habitats are variable and include woodlands, forests, parks and deserts.
The males can be identified by the red/pink tinge to their faces, yellow throughout their body with the exception of the black on their upper back and wings.
Despite its name, this bird is actually a type of cardinal and has been removed from the tanager family.
10. Nicobar Pigeon
A lot of people don’t realize just how beautiful pigeons, doves and their close relatives can be. Many only know these birds based on inner city and suburban birds like rock pigeons and mourning doves. They don’t realize that this family is extremely diverse and that a colorful bird such as the nicobar pigeon can be put next to the most beautiful birds around.
This bird is a large type of pigeon, reaching up to 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) in length. They have metallic green throughout most of their bodies. They can be found on islands throughout southeast Asia. Throughout their range, their appearance doesn’t change much and there aren’t lots of subspecies of them like other birds with larger ranges. They are known for not being shy around people, allowing you to get close for birdwatching and photography.
Nicobar pigeons are a social species. They can be observed traveling together in flocks, often going from island to island, looking for grain to eat.
Interesting Fact:
The Nicobar Pigeon is the closest living relative of the extinct dodo bird.
11. Scarlet Honeycreeper
This deep red bird makes a great addition to your birdwatching life list. If you are looking for another reason to finally take that vacation to Hawaii, finding colorful birds like this should help convince you to go.
The Scarlet Honeycreeper is one of the most common birds found on the Hawaiian Islands but don’t let this fool you. They are among the prettiest birds around.
Their bill is one of their defining features. Its long, curved bill makes it unique compared to other small perching birds. You’ve probably already guessed by its name, that this bill is designed for eating nectar. They are mostly scarlet in color, with black wings. In size, they don’t get bigger than 6 inches (15.2 centimeters) long.
Scarlet honeycreepers have been on the decline in recent decades but they still remain relatively common in the Hawaiian Islands.
Conclusion:
These birds are only a small amount of the prettiest birds in the world. There are dozens of other exotic birds to add to your birdwatching life list. Do your research and plan your next trip!
Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.