Top 22 Colorful Birds in the World (With Images)

Naturally in animals, there are more numbers and varieties of colors possible than we could ever imagine and discover, that is, especially in case of birds because they need more colors than any other animals as these wide range of colors in birds helps them to find their mates, foods, and also to avoid the predators.

In this article, We are going to see the list of Colorful Birds that have a wide range of colorful feathers with brilliant questions about the colorful birds.

Colorful Birds In the World

1.Roseate Spoonbill

  • Scientific name: Platalea ajaja
  • Family: Threskiornithidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 85 cm,  1-2 Kg, 125 cm.
  • Habitat: marsh areas, mangroves, fresh shallows , brackish, marine waters, mangroves, and forested swamps.
  • Food: omnivores food, algae, crustaceans, insects, small fish and aquatic invertebrates.

The roseate spoonbill is a pink colored wading bird belonging to the genus Plataleaand and family Threskiornithidae that is found in the United States, southern Florida, coastal Texas, southwestern Louisiana, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

This large and pink colored bird with spoon shaped bills also has long legs and neck, long and flatten bills, relatively a small head, and a white colored S shape of neck.

These pink colored birds with its pink colored feather, unique spoon shaped bills, and red eyes make them unique and colorful birds in the world.

2.Vulturine Guineafowl

  • Scientific name: Acryllium vulturinum
  • Family: Numididae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 54 cm, 1-2 Kg, 80 cm.
  • Habitat:  dry desert, tall grass, thorn bushes.
  • Food: seeds, roots, tubers, rodents, small reptiles, insects, a few vegetation and fruits.

The vulturine guineafowl is the  belonging to the genus Acryllium and Family Numididae. These birds are found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.

The Vulturine guineafowl have a brightly colored blue plumage with white and black stripes on it, a small white mark on the dorsal surface, a horny helmet on their blue, red and yellow colored head, red eyes, and a short black colored beak. The male and females look similar in appearance making it difficult to distinguish them. These birds are related to the white breasted guineafowl, and Agelastes meleagrides.

This is the exotic, strange bird among its relative other birds or guinea fowls, because they are relatively large, have unique color, and look like a vulture bird these all make them one of the colorful birds in the world.

3.Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo

  • Scientific name: Lophochroa leadbeateri
  • Family: Cacatuidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 35-55 cm, 450 gm, 80 cm.
  • Habitat: scrublands, savannas, wooded grasslands, forest, and wooded habitat.
  • Food: seeds, weeds, pine trees, cereal grains and insect larvae.
  • Other Names: Leadbeater’s cockatoo or the pink cockatoo

The Major Mitchell’s cockatoo is a beautiful cockatoo out of many varieties of cockatoo belonging to the genus Lophochroa and family Cacatuidae. These cockatoo found in  Australia.

The Major Mitchell’s cockatoo has a white color blended with the pink color on the entire plumage, a beautiful shaped brilliant red-yellow crest, and pink colored wings. The male and females of Major Mitchell’s cockatoo are similar, which makes them difficult in distinguishing between male and female. However, The female Major Mitchell’s cockatoo develops large yellow colored stripes on the crest during maturity. Males have dark brown eyes while females have the red-pink eyes.

The large, beautiful and unique crests on their head make them look like angel birds with its other features making them one of the colorful birds in the world.

4.Long-tailed Broadbill

  • Scientific name: Psarisomus dalhousiae
  • Family: Eurylaimidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 24 cm, 50-65 gm, 28 cm.
  • Habitat: forest, subtropical broadleaf forest, mixed deciduous forest, and gardens.
  • Food: insects, fruit, berries, cicadas, beetles, cockroaches, bugs, butterflies, large ants, caterpillars and spiders.

The long-tailed broadbill is a green,blue and black colored bird belonging to the genus Psarisomus and family Eurylaimidae. These are found in the Himalaya, Myanmar, Thailand,  Vietnam, and  Malaysia.

The long-tailed broadbill  have a green plumage with a mixed color of black and yellow on the head, a brilliant yellow colored cute face, a yellow-green broader bill, a long and bright colored blue tail, a green wings, green back, and a black undertail, green-yellow feet.

The cute yellow face with a black cap on the long-tailed broadbill makes them one of the most colorful birds in the world.

5.Blue Throated Macaw

  • Scientific name: Ara glaucogularis
  • Family: Psittacidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 84 cm, 1-1.5 Kg, 90 cm.
  • Habitat:  tropical savanna.
  • Food: large palms and fruits.
  • Other Names: the Caninde macaw or Wagler’s macaw

The blue-throated macaw is the most colorful bird belonging to genus Ara and family Psittacidae. These macaws are found in northern Bolivia.

The blue-throated macaw have a green and yellow colored plumage, that is, a green-blue back and wings, a brilliant golden-yellow ventral surface, a blue colored throat, a blue head, a blue cheek, and a big and black colored bills.The males are larger than the female.

This is a unique bird as they have a variety of colors in their plumage and also have a unique stripes on their bills that can be used to identify the individuals in a group of macaws, which all makes them one of the gorgeous and colorful birds in the world.

6.Cassowary

  • Scientific name: Casuarius
  • Family: Casuariidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 1.6 m, 30 Kg, 1.8 m.
  • Habitat: tropical rainforests, melaleuca , paperbark, swamps, woodlands and mangrove forests.
  • Food: fungi, flowers, fruits, frogs, snails, insects, birds, fish, rats, mice, carrion and lizards.

The Cassowary is a large flightless bird belonging to genus Casuarius and family Casuariidae. These birds are found in tropical forests of New Guinea, Maluku Islands, and Australia.

The Cassowary is a large bird that has a tall brown casque that is a helmet on  their head, blue and purple neck, black glossy plumage, strong and long legs that can attain high speed and are capable of jumping about 7 feet.

This is a large bird that is almost comparable to ostrich and it is also a flightless bird with a brilliant colorful head and stunning body that makes it one of the big and colorful birds in the world.

7.Mandarin Duck

  • Scientific name: Aix galericulata
  • Family: Anatidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 50 cm, 600 gm, 80 cm.
  • Habitat: forests, swamps, freshwater marshes, rivers, ponds , and streams.
  • Food: aquatic vegetation, snails, insects, small fish, acorns and grains.

The mandarin duck is a species of duck with a brilliant and colorful plumage which belongs to the genus Aix and  Anatidae family that is found in the East Palearctic, china and japan.

The male mandarin ducks have a red bill, a red-brown eyes, a white face, reddish face, white colored crescent, purple colored breast with white stripes and a variety of colors such as  white, black, brown, green and blue in its plumage. Whereas the females have a dull colored  plumage, pale colored bill tips , white colored eye rings, and dull crest.

The colorful feathers plumage of mandarin ducks makes them the world’s most colorful and beautiful duck among many other ducks.

8.Indian Pitta

  • Scientific name: Pitta brachyura
  • Family: Pittidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 20 cm, 50 gm, 24 cm.
  • Habitat: wooded habitats, parks, scrub jungle, deciduous, dense evergreen forest, Himalayan forests,
  • Food:  fruits, insects, small invertebrates, kitchen food scraps, and few seeds.

The Indian Pitta is a stocky bird belonging to the genus Pitta and family Pittidae. These are found in central and northern parts of the Indian peninsula and South India.

The Indian Pitta is a Indian bird due to its eye-catching colors that have a black colored long and pointed bill, a generous coat of upper parts green,pink legs, red-orange colored belly, head with black stripes that also pass through the eyes, and a very short tail.

This is a favourite bird for the birdwatchers in India because of its short body and colorful plumage making it one of the colorful birds in the world.

9.Gouldian Finch

  • Scientific name: Erythrura gouldiae
  • Family: Estrildidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 12-14 cm, 10-12gm, 14 cm.
  • Habitat: Tropical savannah, thickets, woodlands, mangroves and grassy plains.
  • Food: Grass seeds, insects, fruits such as pears , vegetables such as carrots, squash.
  • Other Names: Lady Gouldian finch, Gould’s finch , the rainbow finch.

The Gouldian finch is a small colorful bird which can have varieties of colors belonging to Genus Chloebia and family Estrildidae and are found in Australia.

The Gouldian finch plumage comes in many colors such as blue, purple, yellow, red, black, etc. There are many colors of head is possible based on this feature they are called as  black-headed, red-headed, and green-headed Gouldian finch, etc most common is Gouldian finch is the black-headed Gouldian finch that have a bright green dorsal surface, a black upper bill, a pink-white lower bill, a red tip on the bill, a dull grey head and neck, yellow colored belly and a purple breast.

This is a gorgeous bird with striking and vivid colors that make the Indian Pitta one of the most colorful finches in the world.

10.Golden Pheasant

  • Scientific name: Chrysolophus pictus
  • Family: Phasianidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 10 cm, 500 gm, 75 cm.
  • Habitat: thick forests, conifers, and mountain forests.
  • Food: insects such as locusts, grasshoppers, spiders etc, seeds, and leaves.
  • Other Names: Chinese pheasant, rainbow pheasant.

The golden pheasant is a colorful bird belonging to the genus Chrysolophus and  family Phasianidae and are found in China, western Europe, North and South America, Falkland Islands, Australia, and New Zealand.

The golden pheasant have a golden-yellow back, golden-yellow head, yellow legs, shining red-maroon breast, dark and light blue colored shiny wings, red underparts, brown-red face, cheek, and neck, and long black spotted tails with cinnamon colored tips.

This male golden pheasant has a variety of colors in its feathers such as golden-yellow, brilliant blue, scarlet red, green, black etc that all make them look beautiful and colorful thus it is also one of the colorful birds in the world.

11.Nicobar Pigeon

  • Scientific name: Caloenas nicobarica
  • Family: Columbidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 40 cm, 400-500 gm, 60 cm.
  • Habitat: rainforests, dense forest, small islands, coastal regions,
  • Food: seeds, harvested grain, fruit, invertebrates

The Nicobar pigeon is a beautiful bird with striking colors belonging to the genus Caloenas and family Columbidae that is found in the Andaman, Islands of Nicobar, south west peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and India.

These Nicobar pigeons are larger than pigeons that have a round head, a short and white tail, a bill with a knob on it, strong legs, a dark grey body, a shining metallic blue-green back, a grey head, red colored legs and feet, and a brown underparts.

The male Nicobar pigeon is larger than the female, and has iridescent plumage and physical features that all make them one of the colorful birds in the world.

12.Lilac Breasted Roller

  • Scientific name: Coracias caudatus
  • Family: Coraciidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 32 cm, 80-140 gm, 56 cm.
  • Habitat:  woodland, Acacia woodland, grassland, riverside woods, and cultivated land.
  • Food: insects, lizards, scorpions, snails,  grasshoppers, beetles,  crabs, small amphibians,small birds, and rodents.
  • Other Names: fork-tailed roller, lilac-throated roller.

The Lilac Breasted Roller belongs to the Genus Coracias, Family Coraciidae that is found in sub-Saharan Africa, and southern Arabian Peninsula.

The Lilac Breasted Roller is an olive-green crown, brown dorsal surface, a dark blue rump, dark blue wings, a bluish-olive tail, orange colored cheeks, a blue belly, black colored short bill, and a  fork-tail. Both male and female of the Lilac Breasted Roller are distinguished by their coloration.

This bird is an attractive bird of the roller family that has more than three colors in its plumage that give the Lilac Breasted Roller a fond name rainbow roller that all makes them one of the colorful birds in the world.

13.Secretarybird

  • Scientific name: Sagittarius serpentarius
  • Family: Sagittariidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 1.5 m, 3-5 Kg,  2.12 m.
  • Habitat: grasslands and desert.
  • Food: Snake, reptiles, amphibians such as frogs, small mammals such as mice, squirrels and other birds.

The secretary bird is a unique bird with long neck and legs and also a large land bird belonging to the genus Sagittarius and family Sagittariidae and are found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region.

The secretary bird is a big  land bird with long neck and legs with raptor like heads having few long feathers that makes other animals frighten that is the crest feathers, these birds have a white head and throat, a grey colored back, a red-orange patch of skin around the eyes make them look beautiful,black tail, and a red-pink colored legs.

These birds are bird of prey that adapted to terrestrial life rather than aerial and have long unique bodies that make the secretary one of the unique birds in the world.

14.Scarlet Macaw

  • Scientific name: Ara macao
  • Family: Psittacidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 80 cm, 1-2 Kg, 100 cm.
  • Habitat:  tropical forests.
  • Food: nuts, leaves, berries, and seeds.

The scarlet macaw is a large macaw having primary red, yellow, and blue colors in its plumage belonging to the genus Ara and family Psittacidae. These macaws are found in Central and South American.

The scarlet macaw have a scarlet colored plumage, large curved beaks with back tips, a white patch around the eyes, blue rump, dark blue feather in the wings, red underside wings, red-orange head, large blue colored long tail.

This is a large type of parrots having primarily red, yellow, and blue colors in their plumage make the scarlet macaw one of the colorful birds in the world.

15.Hyacinth Macaw

  • Scientific name: Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
  • Family: Psittacidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 100 cm, 1-2 Kg, 125 cm.
  • Habitat: tropical rainforest ,forested areas, palm swamps and flooded grasslands.
  • Food: brazil nuts, bocaiuva palms and macadamia nuts.
  • Other Names: hyacinthine macaw

The hyacinth macaw is a large parrot belonging to genus Anodorhynchus and family Psittacidae. These are found in  eastern South America.

The hyacinth macaw have an overall hyacinth colored plumage, a yellow colored patch around the eyes, sharp and curved bill, and long pointed tails.These hyacinth macaws are the one of the largest flying parrots.

The magnificent hyacinth color in these parrots make them look colorful and unique birds in the world.

16.Alexandrine Parakeet

  • Scientific name: Psittacula eupatria
  • Family: Psittaculidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 58-64 cm, 200-320 gm, 70 cm.
  • Habitat: forests, woodlands, agricultural lands, mangrove forests and bird sanctuary.
  • Food: wild seeds, cultivated seeds, buds, fruits, nuts, vegetables, pellets, Nutri-Berries, and Avi-Cakes.
  • Other Names: Alexandrine parrot, Alexandrine ring-necked parakeet or greater rose-ringed parakeet.

The Alexandrine parakeet, is a large parrot belonging to the genus Psittacula and family Psittaculidaethat is found in Western India, South India and Sri Lanka.

The Alexandrine parakeet is the largest parakeet that have a overall green colored body, a blue-grey color cheeks and neck, yellow-green belly, a red patches on back, a large and red beak with yellow tips, a green upper tail, a yellow under tail and yellow tail tips.

As a pet Alexandrine parakeet is loyal, intelligent and talkative with vivid colors and features these all make them one of the most colorful parakeets in the world.

17.Keel-billed Toucan

  • Scientific name: Ramphastos sulfuratus
  • Family: Ramphastidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 55 cm, 500-650 gm, 100 cm.
  • Habitat: rain forest, tropical, sub-tropical rainforests
  • Food: fruit, insects, lizards, other birds eggs and nestlings.
  • Other Names: sulfur-breasted toucan, rainbow-billed toucan.

The keel-billed toucan is a brilliant colorful toucan which also has many kinds of colors in its beaks that belong to the genus Ramphastos and family Ramphastidae. These are found in the tropical jungles from southern Mexico to Colombia.

The Keel-billed toucan have a large and colorful bills that is, colors in its beak are yellow, orange, green, blue and red-maroon, a green-yellow face, a glossy black plumage, a yellow throat, blue legs, yellow chest, blue colored feet, a tail with red colored feather tips, a round tail.

These varieties of colors in its body as well as in its beak makes it a bird with varieties of colors in its beak that is the uniqueness of the Keel-billed toucan and is the one of the most colorful birds in the world.

18.Indian Peafowl

  • Scientific name: Pavo cristatus
  • Family: Phasianidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 1.2 m,  5-6 Kg, 1.25 m.
  • Habitat: deciduous forest ,open forest, and evergreen forest.
  • Food: seeds, insects, fruits, small mammals, small snakes and reptiles.
  • Other Names: the common peafowl.

The Indian peafowl is one of the famous beautiful and colorful peafowl species belonging to genus Pavo and family Phasianidae that is found in the Indian subcontinent and  Sri Lanka.

The Indian peafowl is a large peafowl that have metallic green, blue colors in its plumage, a large and colorful tail that is in fan shape meant to dance, crest on the head and attract the female peafowl and a metallic gold, brown, green, dark blue and black feathers.

These physical features and a variety of colors make Indian peafowls as one of the colorful and most beautiful birds in the world.

Read More : Birds With Long Legs !

19.Bohemian Waxwing

  • Scientific name: Bombycilla garrulus
  • Family: Bombycillidae.
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 20 cm, 75 gm, 34 cm
  • Habitat: open evergreen forests, lakes, ponds, streams, and open woodlands.
  • Food:  fruit such as strawberry, mulberry,  raspberry, cranberry etc. insects such as flies, moth, other small invertebrates.

The Bohemian waxwing is a small size bird belonging to genus Bombycilla and family Bombycillidae. These birds are found in Palearctic and North America.

The Bohemian Waxwings have a black-grey plumage with many other colors such as yellow, black, white, red-orange, a short bill and tail, yellow colored tips on tail, black legs and beaks, yellow-orange face and head, and a brown undertail with yellow colored tip.

These are the birds with magnificent colors in its plumage that make the Bohemian Waxwings one of the colorful birds in the world.

20.Crimson Sunbird

  • Scientific name: Aethopyga siparaja
  • Family: Nectariniidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 11 cm, 8-10 gm, 15 cm.
  • Habitat: tropical region, and forests.
  • Food: flower nectar, and other invertebrates.

The crimson sunbird is a small bird weighing only about 8 grams that belongs to the Genus Aethopyga and Family Nectariniidae.

The male crimson sunbirds are tiny birds that have long bills adapted for sucking the nectar, crimson breast, maroon colored dorsal surfaces, yellow rump, and an olive colored belly. Whereas the female crimson sunbirds have a green dorsal surface, light yellow breast, and  tails with white tips on it.

A variety of colors such as maroon, yellow , green, white and black in these small birds make them one of the colorful birds in the world.

21.Red Necked Tanager

  • Scientific name: Tangara cyanocephala
  • Family: Thraupidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 13 cm, 20 gm, 15 cm
  • Habitat: canopy forests, abandoned fields, parks, forest edges, woodlands, subtropical forest, and tropical forest
  • Food: insects, and fruit.

The Red-necked Tanager is a one of the beautiful tanagers belonging to genus Tangara and family Thraupidae. These are found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

The Red-necked Tanagers have a green plumage, a dark blue crown, blue throat,a brilliant scarlet-red cheek, a black face immediately after the beak, a black and sturdy beak. The males Red-necked Tanager have black dorsal surface while the female have dull black colored dorsal surface.

The distinctive plumage of the Red-necked Tanager makes them look colorful as they have black,blue, red, and green colors that all make them one of the colorful tanagers in the world.

22.Chestnut-Headed Bee-Eater

  • Scientific name: Merops leschenaulti
  • Family: Meropidae
  • Length, Weight and Wingspan: 20 cm, 30 gm, 25 cm.
  • Habitat: wood forest, plantations, large gardens, coastal dunes, and riversides.
  • Food: insects such as honeybees, wasps, ants, locusts, dragonflies, butterflies, caterpillars and grasshoppers.
  • Other Names: bay-headed bee-eater

The chestnut-headed bee-eater is a small beautiful and colorful bird belonging to the genus Merops and family Meropidae. These birds are found in Indian subcontinent, east to Southeast Asia.

The chestnut-headed bee-eater has a yellow chin, breast and throat, brown head, a long and pointed bill, long and green wings,a blue central tail, and blue-green belly.

These are the colorful birds that have green, blue, sky blue, yellow,and orange colors on its plumage along with its physical features that make the chestnut-headed bee-eater one of the most colorful birds in the world.

What are some of the most Colorful Bird species?

The most colorful bird species are, Roseate spoonbill, Vulturine guineafowl, Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, Long-tailed broadbill, Blue Throated Macaw, Cassowary, Mandarin Duck, Indian Pitta, Gouldian Finch, Golden pheasant, Nicobar Pigeon, Lilac Breasted Roller, Secretary bird, Scarlet Macaw, hyacinth macaws, Alexandrine parakeet, Keel billed toucan, Indian Peafowl , Bohemian waxwing and Crimson Sunbird .

Read More : Why Do Birds Have Feathers ?

Why Are Bird Feathers Colorful?

Feathers get their colors from pigments that are obtained through the bird’s food these pigments are colored substances that are present in both plants and animals bodies. There are three types of pigments namely Carotenoids, Melanin and Porphyrins.

  • Carotenoid, is produced in plants that are responsible for  colors in feathers. For example, bright yellow colored feathers in goldfinches.
  • Melanin, is a type of pigment that is present in the skin and feathers of birds, melanin provides strength and resistance to wear and tear of feathers.Therefore feathers with melanin are stronger than the feathers without melanin. The more melanin concentration can be seen in feathers that usually undergoes more wear and tear that is, especially at the tips of the wings.
  • Porphyrins, is a third type of pigments, that provides glow, illumination feature to other colors present in a feather when exposed to UV light.

What Bird has Colorful Feathers? The male Peacocks or Peafowl have blue and green colored feathers. These birds are considered as the one of the most beautiful birds, as they have crests, flying feathers, and large tail feathers that are all colorful.

Which Bird has the most Beautiful Feathers? The Indian Peacock has the most colorful feathers as well as a large number of tail feathers that are very long and most colorful.

Which Bird has Colourful Beak? The ‘Keel billed toucan’  has Colorful beaks they are also known as ‘rainbow billed toucan’ because its bill has many colors such as green, orange, yellow,blue, maroon, red-orange etc.

Which Bird has the Brightest Feathers? Toco Toucan has the brightest feathers and also has the brightest bill that is large as well as have many colors in it. This Toco Toucan  is the largest species among many toucan family members and it is an exotic bird that is found in eastern South America.