Fourteen Birds with Fantastic Feathers

After living in a concrete jungle for a while, I find myself forgetting that any birds exist, other than the ones that want to drop a “hello” on my head or steal my lunch. However, the beautiful winged creatures pictured here are sure to brighten anyone’s day. And to all the pigeons, sparrows, and blackbirds out there wondering why you weren’t included … don’t worry—it’s nothing personal.

Eastern Rosella

The Eastern Rosella is native to Australia and is highly intelligent, is capable of learning a large repertoire of songs, and can be trained to speak. Although Rosellas can be kept as pets, they prefer to have minimal human interaction. So if you’re ever Down Under, keep your distance and snap a picture, or they might just take a snap at you.

Hyacinth Macaw

The hyacinth macaw’s beauty is neither understated nor undersized: this bird, which makes its home in central and eastern South Africa, is the largest species of flying parrot in the world. Although these macaws are at the top of their food chain—with no known natural predators—they find themselves on the endangered species list, due to caged-bird trade and habitat loss.

Keel-billed Toucan

The national bird of Belize can be found from southern Mexico to Venezuela and Colombia. The keel-billed toucan is a highly social bird and is rarely seen alone. Although six to thirty of these birds travel together in flocks, you’ll rarely see them soaring above. The species are poor fliers and move mostly by hopping from tree to tree.

Golden Pheasant

The golden pheasant, or Chinese pheasant, lives mostly in the mountainous areas of western China. The male pheasants tend to upstage their female counterparts, as the female golden pheasant lacks the male’s beautifully colored body and is mostly a dull, dappled brown. What a show-off!

Painted Bunting

The painted bunting is an award-winner, commonly dubbed the most beautiful bird in North America. It is a member of the cardinal family and is found most often in the southern U.S. states. The painted bunting used to be a popular caged bird, but now capturing it is illegal.

Bronze-winged Pionus

The bronze-winged pionus is a remarkably colored parrot that is endemic to northwestern South America. These birds can live to be over forty years old and are often the best choice for first-time parrot owners, because they are very social and easily tamed. If you’re planning to purchase a bronze-winged pionus, be sure to spring for the largest cage available, as they are prone to becoming overweight if confined.

Grey Crowned Crane

The grey crowned crane stands tall, at about forty-two inches, and is the national bird of Uganda. It is native to the dry savannah south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. This crane does not migrate and is facing widespread and ever-increasing threats to its natural habitat.

Flamingo

The flamingo is a bit mysterious, as no one can quite explain its signature behavior of standing on one leg. Some think that these birds, like some other animals, have the ability to allow one-half of their body to sleep at a time—but this idea has never been proven. Flamingos get their beautiful color from carotenoid proteins found in their diet of blue-green algae.

Golden Conure

The golden conure, aka golden parakeet, lives in the upland rainforests of Brazil and finds itself on the endangered species list, due to deforestation and high risk of capture for its attractive plumage. It employs a breeding technique that is unique among parrots: a pair of parents usually has a number of fellow helpers to raise their young.

Rainbow Lorikeet

The rainbow lorikeet is indigenous to Australia, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The rainbow lorikeet is highly territorial and will protect its nest against nearly any size intruder. There are approximately twelve colorful subspecies of this gorgeous bird.

White-bellied Caique

This parrot is native to the Amazon Basin in South America and is nicknamed “the dancing parrot” because of its tendency to hop or “dance” when encouraged with rhythmic clapping. You might want to put this parrot at the bottom of your wish list for household pets, though—its call has been compared to a smoke alarm.

Greater Bird-of-Paradise

The greater bird-of-paradise is the largest member in the genus Paradisaea, which contains seven species of birds-of-paradise. It is distributed across New Guinea and the Aru Islands in Indonesia. Although the plumage of this species is sexually dimorphic (differences between sexes in the same species), both males and females have yellow irises and blue bills.

Dusky Lory

The dusky lory is endemic to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It is the only species of parrot of the genus Pseudeos. Dusky lories have a greater talking potential than other, similar-size parrots, but their difficult diet and eating schedules are the reason most people do not keep them as pets.

Peach-faced Lovebird

Peach-faced lovebirds get their name for their affection toward their owners and other birds. These birds, with more than twelve mutations, are native to southwest Africa, are very social and affectionate, and love companionship. Peach-faced lovebirds make great pets; just be sure you get two if you can’t supply one with the attention it needs on your own.