It’s always exciting to learn about new animal species in the natural world, and exotic birds have particularly caught the interest of scientists, researchers, and bird enthusiasts alike. Their one-of-a-kind traits and breathtaking beauty make them an endlessly fascinating subject for study and observation.
Our world is home to a plethora of bird species that display an incredible variety of colors and feather designs. It’s amazing to see how nature has adorned these creatures with such unique features. To satisfy your admiration for beautiful aesthetics, we’ve curated a stunning selection of 16 bird photographs that will surely mesmerize you and leave you awestruck.
The European Starling, which is also referred to as Sturnus vulgaris, can be found in all but one of the world’s six biogeographical realms, with the exception of the Neotropics. Although it mainly inhabits its natural Palearctic region, spanning from Norway to the Mediterranean and Central Siberia to the Azores, starlings were introduced to North America in 1890. Though only a few pairs survived out of the hundred starlings that were released in New York City during that year, their population increased significantly over the next century due to their ability to thrive in various ecological conditions. Presently, the European Starling can be found throughout the United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico. These birds usually prefer lowlands and require nesting holes for breeding season, as well as fields of vegetation for sustenance. They also inhabit a wider range of habitats throughout the year, including open moorland and salt marshes. European Starlings typically build their nests in holes and gaps in trees, structures, and rooftops, and have been known to raid other birds’ nests and use them as their own.
The Formosan laughingthrush, also known as the Garrulax morrisonianus, is a bird that belongs to the Leiothrichidae family and can only be found in Taiwan’s montane forests. One distinguishing feature of this bird is its distinct facial pattern, with a thrush-like yellowish to horn-colored bill, black eyes, and strong, brownish-pink legs. It measures approximately 26 to 28 cm in length and weighs around 77 grams on average.
These social birds often travel in large groups and are not easily frightened by humans. Their population size is estimated to range from 10,000 to 100,000 breeding pairs, which makes them relatively common in Taiwan. However, habitat destruction and fragmentation have led to a decline in their population over time. Despite this, they are not currently considered vulnerable.
Meropidae, a family of slender birds recognized by their bright colors and long bills, are called bee-eaters due to their diet of flying insects such as bees, wasps, beetles, and dragonflies. These birds are known for their graceful movements and can be found perched on high and open areas like dead trees in fields, riverbanks, or forest edges. Bee-eaters have sharp eyesight and are able to spot and catch their prey while in flight. In Southeast Asia, they tend to nest in burrows that they dig in sandy cliff faces or bare ground, and some have been seen nesting in man-made piles of sandy soil. The Nyctornis amictus, also known as Red-bearded Bee-eater, even makes its home in termite mounds. Although bee-eaters are more diverse in Africa, Southeast Asia is home to eight species that either permanently inhabit the region or migrate there.
The Hemiprocne longipennis, also known as the grey-rumped treeswift, is a bird belonging to the Hemiprocnidae family. This particular family has four species which are all closely associated with true swifts. But, different from true swifts, treeswifts are arboreal creatures and can often be seen perched on trees, high-tension power transmission lines, and pylons. While sitting, their wing tips cross over their tail. Although this species is commonly observed in peninsular Malaysia, they have a vast habitat range and their population trend is currently not well documented.
Describing the multi-coloured tanager, a tiny bird that measures about 12 cm in length, its males have a distinctive yellow crown, face, mantle, and throat with chestnut and black ear coverts, bright green nape and wings, blue rump, breast, and belly, and a black patch at the center of the underparts. Females, on the other hand, are less vibrant and lack yellow mantle or black patch on the underparts. The young ones of both sexes appear like females but with a duller look. These birds are found only in the interior of wet montane forests in the Occidental and Central Cordillera regions of Colombia. Although they are usually seen at an altitude of 1300 to 2200 meters above sea level, some have been spotted at lower altitudes, especially in Cauca. They are mostly observed in mature forests but have also been sighted in mature secondary forests and forest edges. Recently, many sightings have reported from the Valle del Cauca Department, where they reside throughout the year and remain fairly common even in small forest fragments.
The 18th of December, or 12/18, brings a range of holiday activities and celebrations worldwide. It’s the perfect time for families and friends to gather, exchange gifts, and enjoy each other’s company. While there may be differences in traditions across cultures, the underlying message of love, generosity, and goodwill remains universal. Let us all embrace the holiday spirit and spread joy wherever we go!
The Western Emerald Hummingbird, also known as Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus in the scientific world, is a specific type of hummingbird that can only be found in the western parts of Colombia and Ecuador, within the subtropical and tropical moist forests. It has a relatively wide distribution, with an estimated global coverage of 153,000 km. While not a rare sight, this species tends to be more commonly spotted in certain regions within its range. This hummingbird thrives in environments that include montane and subtropical forests.
The Bare-throated Tiger-Heron is a medium-sized bird that can be found in coastal areas of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Its green face and throat, black crown and nape, and grey side of the head provide it with cryptic coloring. The upper bill is black and has a blue horn cutting edge, while the lower bill is dull yellow. Its irises range from yellow to silver, and its lores, skin around the eye, and featherless throat are yellow-green, extending onto the lower bill. A black line runs from its eye to the throat, and the front of the neck has tawny color and white stripes. Its hind neck has fine brown and buff bars, while the back has dark olive-brown color with fine buff vermiculation. The feathers on its under parts are cinnamon with grey thighs and are black during flight. Its legs vary in color from dark grey olive to slate green. During nesting, the bare throat may turn bright yellow to orange. While population size and trends are unknown, the Bare-throated Tiger-Heron is widely distributed throughout its range. It is common in Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, rare to uncommon and possibly declining in Panama, and potentially at risk in north Colombia.
The Steller’s Jay is a distinctive bird due to its stunning deep blue and black feathers and unkempt crest. The front of its body is black while the rear is deep blue with subtle dark stripes on its wings. Adult Steller’s Jays have blue eyebrows above their eyes, while young ones have slightly brownish heads and lack the blue eyebrows. Inland variations of the bird have a small white patch over the eye. Interestingly, Steller’s and Blue Jays are the only jays in North America that have crests, and they sometimes mate to create hybrids. To make their nests, Steller’s Jays use mud. They frequently visit bird feeders to collect peanuts, which they store in their crops before flying off. Additionally, they commonly bury nuts in the ground, marking the site with leaves or fragments of material. Still, they tend to forget most of them, resulting in the germination and growth of young trees.
The Hemiprocne comata is a bird species commonly known as the Whiskered Treeswift. It is a member of the Hemiprocnidae family and can be found in several countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The adult male Whiskered Treeswifts have a dark bronze-brown body with a white belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts. Additionally, they possess long wings, a deep blue forked tail, and white tertial flight feathers. The head of this bird is either blue or glossy black, coupled with a slight crest. They typically inhabit subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Whiskered Treeswifts prefer to live in small cover breaks like tracks or streams. They follow the vegetation up around the highest emergent crowns in evergreen forests, and sometimes in tall mangroves. This bird species can be found in plains up to 1000 to 1100 meters on slopes, but it is often seen below 800 meters in N Malay Peninsula.
