After being cooped up for weeks, I’m really itching to spread my metaphorical wings and get out of here. Sadly, that’s not realistic, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take some joy in learning about all the amazing winged creatures the world has to offer.
Some of these birds are strange, have silly names, or are just plain beautiful, but they are all incredible.
RELATED STORIES
Bearded Reedling
If the Angry Birds games were real life, they would star these rotund little dudes. Bearded reedlings are common throughout temperate Europe and some of Asia. During warmer months, they aren’t quite so round, but still pretty darn cute.
Willy Wagtail
These birds get their cute name because they will wag their tails side to side when excited or agitated. They are common throughout much of Australia and Southeastern Asia, and are easily seen in urban areas.
Pink Robin
We’re used to seeing robins with reddish bellies, but in Australia you can see these amazing little guys . They nest in the dense vegetation of eucalyptus forests and temperate rainforests, particularly in Tasmania.
Mandarin Duck
These ducks are native to China, Japan, Korea, and even some parts of Russia, however they are becoming more common in the UK and California thanks to people either releasing them or letting them escape into the wild.
Azure Tit
These are very similar to the Eurasian blue tit, but considered their own species . Blue tits have bright yellow bellies, while these guys are all blue and white.
They can interbreed, however, resulting in a hybrid called Pleske’s tit, which can have varying amounts of yellow.
Red Avadavat
Colloquially, these birds are often called “strawberry finches” and you can see why at a glance. They are found throughout tropical Asia.
During most of the year, both genders are a duller brown shade, but when mating season comes around, the males turn vibrant red to help attract the ladies.
Horned Sungem
These hummingbirds are less brightly colored than some of their cousins except for their incredible, iridescent “horns”. Small pockets of the birds can be found in Suriname and Amapá, but their habitat is mostly across the lower half of Brazil.
Violet-Backed Starling
Starlings in North American are an invasive pest, but these beauties can be found throughout the woodlands and savannah forests of sub-Saharan Africa.
They do have some of the same bad habits though, and have been known to destroy crops or other birds’ nests when food is scarce.
Gloster Canary
Though their ancestors come from the Canary Islands, this species has been specifically bred for the pet trade. Gloster canaries come in two varieties, Consorts (smooth heads) and Coronas (crested heads).
Andean Cock-Of-The-Rock
These unusual fellows are found in the Andean cloud forests of South America, and are even unofficially regarded as the national bird of Peru.
Rosefinch
North America is unlucky, because the rosefinch is common pretty much everywhere else in the world. The genus contains about 25-30 individual species that vary in hue from bright, bubblegum pinks to dusky purples.
Galah
In some Australian cities, it’s not uncommon to see these bright pink cockatoos wandering around. Their name comes from gilaa , in the Aboriginal language of Yuwaalaraay, which sadly for them, means “idiot.”
Glistening-Green Tanager
These guys remind me of a glow stick, in the best way, of course. They can be found in the forests of Columbia and Ecuador, where they forage among the middle and lower areas of forest.
Both genders are similar looking, but females are slightly less vibrant and may not have the red markings on their heads.
Secretary Bird
While we can’t help but compare this bird species’ long-legged strut and incredible lashes to a lady secretary, the name actually predates that stereotype. Regardless of their looks, these birds are pretty awesome and known for stomping their prey to death — including snakes! — before feasting.
Blue-Footed Booby
Now here’s a bird species that wouldn’t look out of place in a Pixar movie. They are a sea bird native to the western tropical and subtropical coasts of Central and South America, as well as the Galapagos Islands.
The blue feet are how they show their health and vigor to future mates.
Silver-Eared Mesia
You can find these bright yellow birds throughout southern Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Laos. They also live in the moist, tropical forests of southern China and will sometimes migrate to down to India in the winter.
Shima-Enaga
What looks like a flying cotton ball is actually a distinct variation of the long-tailed tit found only on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. They are locally called Shima-enaga birds.
Mountain Bluebird
Unlike a lot of the birds featured in the list, this guy is a North American beauty. They are found in much of the western United States and Canada. Their population was in decline for a while, but thankfully, with the help of conservation efforts, it has begun to stabilize again.
White-Browed Tit-Warbler
These little rainbows live in the boreal forests of central China and the Himalayas. Not a lot is known about the habits of these birds, since they tend to be well-hidden in mountainous forests, but they aren’t currently in danger of extinction.
Nicobar Pigeon
Not all pigeons are urban nuisances. The Nicobar Islands give these beautiful pigeons their name, and it’s where they were able to evolve freely into the unique birds they are today.
As the last remaining species in the genus Caloenas , they are believed to be the closest living relative to the dodo.
