Scaled bird of paradise. Guianan Rock Cockerel
Arranging a beauty contest among birds is not an easy task. Nevertheless, subjectively, among more than 9800 species - namely, so many birds live on our planet - one can single out a number of handsome men who invariably attract people's views and cause undisguised admiration and delight with their amazing appearance ...
Crowned Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus)
There are four varieties of the crowned or royal flycatcher, all of which are characterized by a "crown", which is usually seen in males only during courtship ritual or competition with other males. In normal times, the comb is not visible, the feathers are pressed to the head, but if necessary, such a “stylish hairstyle” appears.
Blue-headed Magnificent Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus respublica)
This is an incredible bird of paradise, easily recognizable by its curly tail feathers and unique coloration. The turquoise "crown" on the head of males is actually not feathers, but an area of exposed skin.
Scaled bird of paradise (Pteridophora alberti)
The plumes “painted” with ornaments on the head of males (fingerwings) look so implausible that when the first such birds were brought to Europe, people did not believe that this was their natural decoration.
Long-tailed velvet weaver (Euplectes progne)
In the English-speaking world, this South African bird is called the "widow" for its unusually long black mourning tail. In males (that is, widowers), it reaches forty centimeters, which is twice the length of their body.
Beautiful painted malur (Malurus cyaneus)
Males acquire a luxurious solid blue coloration only during the breeding season, at other times they are almost impossible to distinguish from females. They become pale brown above and white below, although the feathers retain a blue tint on the wings and tail.
Quezal (Pharomachrus mocinno)
Many consider this bird the most beautiful in the world. The quezal is the national symbol of Guatemala, and the local currency is even named after it.
Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
This bird (like other representatives of this species), known for its unusually impressive courtship ritual, is also famous for its rapid dives, circular rises and falls with a “stone”, which are accompanied by a piercing sound.
Curly-haired arasari (Pteroglossus beauharnaesii)
This bird, belonging to the toucan family, got its name from the unusual feathers on its head, curling like a braid on a gift box.
Blue-capped tanager (Tangara cyanocephala)
There are three subspecies of this bird, differing mainly in the size of the spot on the throat and the color of the head. They live in lowland tropical forests in eastern South America.
Paradise tanager (Tangara chilensis)
Guianan Rock Cockerel (Rupicola rupicola)
Their comb, almost perfectly semicircular in shape, is formed by two rows of feathers converging at the ends with each other. Unlike other birds, rock cockerels wear this decoration all the time.
Livingston's banana eater (Tauraco livingstonii)
The banana-eater, also known as Turako, is the ancestor of the Musophagidae family, which means, of course, banana-eaters. However, what is remarkable is that these birds hardly eat bananas.
Indian Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus)
These birds are easy to recognize by the huge "helmet" growing on the top of the beak. The tribes of central India believed that wearing a hornbill skull hanging around the neck was the surest way to wealth.
tangerine- a small bird of the genus of forest ducks of the duck family. The mandarin duck lives in the Far East. In addition, the species has been successfully acclimatized in Great Britain and Ireland and in the state of California, USA.
Passeriformes (Passeriformes) There are over 5 thousand species of passerines in the world, which is about 60% of the total number of species. In the photo - Long-tailed broad-beak, or long-tailed hornbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae)
Cranes (Gruiformes) A group of predominantly marsh and ground birds, rarely nesting in trees. On the picture - Eastern Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum)
With few exceptions, songbirds benefit humans by exterminating masses of small insects. On the picture - Chased Wagtail (Epthianura)
Gouldian Finches (Chloebia gouldiae)
New Guinea Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
Blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
Fan-bearing crowned dove (lat. Goura victoria), so beautiful that it does not look like a dove at all. The magnificent crown of the dove consists of a translucent, comb-like fan of loose feathers. They are found in the wild in New Guinea and neighboring islands. A dove and a dove, like other pigeons, are a strong couple, for life ...
Birds descended from the pages of fairy tales
Longtail Velvet Weaver
These South African birds get their name from their black coat and very long tail that develops like a ribbon in flight. The tail of males can reach 16 cm, which is twice the length of their body. Unlike males, females have a rather inconspicuous sandy-black color. Males, especially during the breeding season, attract attention with their beautiful plumage.
Brilliant painted paint
Males are blue during the breeding season. At other times of the year, they practically do not differ from females in their plumage. The upper part of the body acquires a pale brown color, and the lower part becomes white, but the tail and wings remain blue. As for the relations between individuals of different sexes, they are very peculiar. Despite the fact that these birds are essentially monogamous and even form pairs, they still lead a promiscuous sex life, mating with other individuals. At the same time, they assist in the upbringing of the chicks that appear as a result of such meetings. To attract the attention of a female, males tear bright flower petals and show them to females.
Royal Flycatcher
There are 4 species of royal flycatcher and each of them has a tuft resembling a fan: a kind of "crown", which, however, can only be seen during courtship with the female and during rivalry with other males.
Scaled bird of paradise
They live in the forests of New Guinea. When this bird species was first introduced to Europe, people thought they were fake. It's all about the unusual feathers that adorn the heads of males. These birds are solitary in nature and never form pairs. Thus, the upbringing of chicks occurs without any participation from the male.
Quetzal
Many people believe that these are the most beautiful birds in the world. The quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala, and even the currency in this country bears its name. Once upon a time, the Mayan Indians worshiped this bird, considering it sacred. Their feathers were practically priceless, and only chieftains and priests were allowed to wear them as decoration.
Lilac-breasted Roller
This bird got its name from the impressive courtship of the female in flight, during which the male, having risen to a considerable height, circling, rushes into the water at high speed, while making loud sounds. They live in savannahs and farmlands in eastern and southern Africa.
Inca Tern
These stunning whiskered seabirds nest on the rocky coasts of Chile and Peru. Interestingly, the Inca Tern, having a rather expressive appearance, is also distinguished by its singing. Birds make sounds that resemble cat meows. These representatives of the tern family feed on fish. They are in danger of extinction.
Curly arasari
This bird belongs to the toucan family and got its name from the feathers on its head. They are twisted like ribbons on a wrapped gift.
Blue-capped tanager
There are three subspecies of these birds, which differ primarily in plumage in the neck and head. They live in low-lying areas of tropical forests in eastern South America. They usually live in pairs or groups. Their diet includes fruits, however, when there is not enough fruit, they will not miss the opportunity to feast on insects.
Blue-headed magnificent bird of paradise
This is another magnificent bird that can be easily recognized by its curling tail feathers and unique coloration. The Turquoise "crown" on the male's head is not actually feathers, but a patch of bare skin.
Guianan Rock Cockerel
The wreath in the form of a semicircle on the head of these birds is formed by two rows of feathers. It remains visible at all times and does not disappear after the mating season, as is often the case with other bird species.
Lilac-capped painted malure
Their singing differs from the singing of other malurs, because it sounds at a lower frequency, and is usually performed in a duet.
Turaco Livingston
These birds belong to the turac family, which literally means "banano-eaters". Despite their name, they do not eat bananas.
Brilliant kotinga
This bird species with a bright turquoise-blue color lives in the Amazon rainforest. They are usually quiet unless they are disturbed by predators. But, as is usually the case in the world of birds, females are less fortunate: they have a gray-brown color with dark spots.
Bare-throated bell ringer
The bare-throated bell ringer lives in the Atlantic forests of South America and has one of the loudest voices.
Indian hornbill
This bird is easy to recognize thanks to a kind of "helmet" on the beak. The indigenous tribes of central India believed that the skull of a hornbill brings wealth.
Collared Trogon
Trogon of this species can be found on the island of Borneo. They live in pairs or singly, and nest in tree cavities. An interesting fact: collared trogons have a habit of sitting still for a long time, breaking away only to grab an insect or pick a berry. They are in danger of extinction.
Momot blue-brown
Momots live in Central America. They are not born with rackets characteristic of their family. The feathers are loosely attached to the body and fall off as they mature.
Malaysian blue-tailed pita
It is one of three types of blue-tailed pittas that used to be classified as one species. However, they were separated due to external and vocal differences.
Red-billed Alcyone
Alcyone builds nests in tunnels on steep river banks and road edges, digging holes 50 cm deep. Insects, rodents, fish, snails and even songbirds serve as food sources.
Malaya Sultanka
You can meet the sultan in the southeastern United States, in the central and northern parts of South America. This species of birds lives in swamps with dense vegetation.
Magnificent astrapia
It is one of 41 species of birds of paradise that can only be found in the mountains of New Guinea.
Kea
The only mountain parrot in the world can be found on the South Island in New Zealand. These large birds are known for their intelligence and curiosity.
South American night heron
You can easily recognize the South American night heron by its white plumage, black cap on its head, and bright blue beak. However, you are unlikely to hear them, as their cries are very quiet.
filamentous bird of paradise
These birds live on the eastern and western coasts of New Guinea and Salavati Island, where they settle mainly in mountainous areas, live in families or flocks. To attract a female, the males dance and comb them with their 12 wire-like lateral feathers. They feed on the juice of flowers, such as, for example, sago palm or pisang.
horned hummingbird
Hummingbirds of this species can be found in South America. Only males have a bright "horn" that shimmers in different colors.
Red-bearded bee-eater
These birds live in Southeast Asia. They catch bees and other insects on the fly. By hitting the insect on a hard surface several times in a row, they get rid of the sting. This allows you to remove almost all of the poison. Red-bearded bee-eaters nest in burrows on the slopes of sandy shores and, unlike other species of bee-eaters, do not live in colonies.
Adapted from news.distractify.com; translation and adaptation by Ekaterina Mylnikova|
Just look at those long head feathers that look so much like festive garlands with flags! It seems that fanfares are about to be heard and some kind of performance will begin. But they didn't guess! This is a scaly bird of paradise (lat. Pteridophora alberti) climbed a branch to find her soul mate.
In the mating season, males of this species grow beautiful feathers on each side of the head right above the eyes. Their length can reach half a meter, which is quite a lot for such a crumb: the body length of a scaly bird of paradise is only 22 cm and weighs about 87 g. Females do not have such feathers, and they wear a very modest outfit compared to males.
The scaly bird of paradise lives in New Guinea. Here it inhabits the forests of the foggy belt, located at an altitude of 1500-2900 m above sea level. It feeds on a wide variety of foods: the diet of this small bird includes both insects and fruits.
At the beginning of the breeding season, males show their future partners all the beauty of their plumage. To do this, they sit on tree branches and describe semicircles with their long "antennas". Obviously, females really like this outfit, as they soon begin to show readiness for mating.
A short date - that's all that falls to the share of females from their handsome gentlemen. The males do not take part in the construction of the nest or in the rearing of the offspring. However, this behavior is typical for many members of the family.
The nest of the scaly bird of paradise resembles a wide flat bowl and is attached to the highest branches. Females do an excellent job of protecting and feeding the chicks - at the moment nothing threatens the species.