Written by Michelle Regna / BuzzFeed Contributor /
1. If you don’t follow bird accounts on Instagram, you’re seriously missing out!
The Lilac-breasted Roller is the national bird of both Kenya and Botswana.
2. With roughly 20,000* species, there seems to be a never-ending amount of gorgeous birds worth photographing — including this Plum-headed Parakeet.
*A 2016 study identified more than 18,000 bird taxa — almost doubling the previous count. Not everyone was on board with the increase, which was due to a modified definition of “species”.
3. Take for example, the Oriental dwarf kingfisher. Found in Southeast Asia, this little bird is an absolute beaut’.
4. Or how about these Rhinoceros hornbills?
Fun Fact: The casque on top of its head starts out white, but gradually changes color throughout the bird’s life as the bird rubs it against an oil-gland under its tail.
5. Hummingbirds in particular can be quite colorful, like this Shining Sunbeam. It’s found in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador and it’s an absolute stunner!
6. Check out this Fiery-throated hummingbird, native to Costa Rica and Panama.
7. And, if purple is your favorite color, you’ll probably appreciate the Velvet-purple Coronet.
Fun Fact: In low light, this bird will appear almost completely dark!
8. Hummingbirds aren’t the only birds blessed with feathers of many colors. These two are called Rainbow Lorikeets. They’re part of the parrot family and are actually classified as pests in parts of Australia and New Zealand.
The nicest looking pests I’ve ever seen!
9. This beautiful little bird is a Painted Bunting, sometimes called the “Nonpareil” which translates to unrivaled. They’re common in the Southeastern United States.
10. Not everyone is a fan of pigeons, but they’re lying if they say the Nicobar pigeon isn’t pretty!
Fun Fact: Though it doesn’t look anything like it, the Nicobar pigeon is the closest living relative to the extinct Dodo bird.
11. The Violaceous Trogon* sounds like a Harry Potter spell, but it’s actually this really pretty bird found in Central and South America.
*The Violaceous Trogon was recently split into three species. I’ll leave it to the bird experts to identify this one!
12. This colorful Mask of Zorro-looking bird is called a Common Green Magpie.
13. And this is a gorgeous shot of a Mandarin duck.
Fun Fact: Because they apparently taste bad, they’re one of the only duck species not hunted for food.
14. There has to be at least one macaw on this list, so why not the Hyacinth?
Fun Fact: The Hyacinth macaw has a wingspan of more than four feet.
15. Peep the legs on this Purple Gallinule:
16. And take a gander at this bird. It’s called a Three-wattled Bellbird, you know, because it has three wattles hanging from its face!
Wattles!
17. This sophisticated-looking bird is a Violet-green Swallow. They can be found nesting from all the way up in Alaska down to central Mexico.
18. This bird is called a Hoopoe and it has a gorgeous crown of feathers a top its head.
Fun Fact: The Hoopoe is mentioned in Chapter 27 of the Qur’an.
19. You might recognize the Wilson’s bird of paradise, known for its elaborate courtship dance.
20. Belonging to the pheasant family, the Himalayan monal could make your jaw drop with its looks.
21. And finally, I present to you the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. Magnificent, isn’t he?
Anyway, this is just 21 of thousands of beautiful birds! Sorry if your fave didn’t make it.
For more bird content, I highly recommend you follow @nuts_about_birds and @audubonsociety. This post wouldn’t have been possible without them!