Birds are rarely featured in best animal compilations, however, these creatures are truly beautiful and can surprise you with their differences in size and colour. Some birds are so fascinating that they are adopted as national birds.

Peacock

Peacock’s tail feather pattern is very unique, and having a peacock feather in your outfit used to be a sign of style.

Pink Flamingo

Flamingoes are often associated with Africa, however, it could be found in the Americas, Europe and even in Asia. Their color ranges from almost white to bright pink.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are very tiny and undeniably cute birds. Their whole existence makes biologists raise their eyebrows – their heart beats hundreds of times in a minute, they have an incredible metabolism, and they have purple feathers which is very unusual color in nature.

Kingfisher

The Kingfisher is a bird that you can find all over the world yet it is still hugely popular amongst photographers. These birds have a huge significance in the culture of many countries, in some it is a bad omen while in others Kingfishers are believed to control the sea.

Toucan

It’s impossible to miss this bird due to its large, curved bill. This bird is often associated with Brazil, even though it is well spread through Central and South America. All species have bright feathers and are easy to spot.

The Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise

Their mating behavior was made famous by the gracious dance and songs. These birds are also known by their unusual behavior of cleaning up the area around them.

Goldfinch

The Goldfinch stands out as a very bright bird with yellow and red feathers. This species is an American one which differs from the British Chaffinch by its prevalence of yellow over other colors. Many people try to attract this striking small bird to their garden as they like to snack on seeds.

Mandarin Duck

The combination of dazzling colours makes this duck very recognisable. Like most animals in nature, only males have distinctive colorful feathers, while females are mostly brown with a few distinguishing features. As the name suggests, this bird comes from the Far East and can be found in the wild in China, Japan and South Korea.

Lilac-breasted Roller

This African species of the roller family is one of the most beautiful birds in the world. It is the national bird of Kenya and Botswana. Its name comes from its courtship rituals which include dives and loops to impress their partner.

Northern Cardinal

This beautiful red bird is common in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Its bright color makes it one of the most beloved birds in Northern America. Its name comes from distinctive red robes and caps worn by Roman Catholic cardinals.