Earth is the home for all animals and humans. However, we humans don’t know about the existence of even half of these animal species. Our world is so vast that we can’t stop discovering new species of animals, ever. There are thousands of different species of birds, all beautiful in their own ways. Here is a list of 20 different birds that will amaze you due to their beauty and diversity.
1. Kingfisher
The kingfisher belongs to the ‘Alcedinidae’ family and has about 90 species. Different species of the kingfisher live on trees and rivers. Kingfishers are found in tropical forests. However, some species live near the river to eat fish. The bird normally feeds on fishes but also has another wide range of prey.
2. Parrot
Parrots have 372 species and they are part of the ‘Psittaciformes’family. Parrots are common birds and are found in all tropical and subtropical regions. Parrots have a long diversity and their greatest diversity is found in South America and Australasia.
3. The Humming Bird
With a height of 7.5 – 13 cm, the humming birds are one of the smallest birds in the world. They belong to the ‘Trochilidae’ family and feed on insects, tree sap, flower nectar, and pollen. They have a long beak to extract nectar from flowers.
4. Dove
The dove belongs to the ‘Columbidae’ family and consists of 310 different species. Doves weigh around 900g-2.1 kg. The bird feeds on fruit and seeds and is mainly found in tropical regions and woodlands.
5. Hornbill
Native to the Asian, African, and Melanesian subtropical regions, the hornbill has 55 species. It belongs to the ‘Bucerotidae’ family and weighs about 6.2 kg. The bird has a horn over its beak and it also has eyelashes. Hornbills eat insects and fruits and offer fruits to attract the opposite sex.
6. The Rail
The Rail belongs to the ‘Rallidae’ family. It is a cosmopolitan family which consists of small and medium sized birds. A number of its species are found in wetlands. However, the bird is found in every terrestrial habitat except polar regions, alpine areas, dry deserts, and areas above the snow line.
7. Spoonbill
Member of the ‘Thresiornithidae’ family, the Spoonbill are wading birds with long legs. Till now, they have only six species. The bird feeds on fishes as well as insects. Incubation of its eggs is carried out by both; the male and the female.
8. Bee Eater
As the name suggests, the Bee Eater feeds on bees. It belongs to the ‘Meropidae’ family and possesses the ability to remove the stinger of its prey before eating it. The bird itself is quite beautiful and has a number of 26 different species. The bird is native to Africa, Asia, Europe, and some parts of Australia.
9. Grebe
Grebe is part of the ‘Podicipediformes’ family and is normally found in water. The Grebe has 22 species and weighs around 1.7 kg. The bird dives in open water and feeds on fishes under the water.
10. Woodpecker
Woodpecker belongs to the ‘Picidae’ family and has around 200 species. It is found in different regions of New Zealand, Madagascar, Australia, and some extreme polar regions. A woodpecker feeds on dead trees and insects. It pecks with a rate of 20 pecks per second.
11. Penguin
Penguins belong to the ‘Spheniscidae’ family. Penguins are mainly found in the Antarctic region and have a number of different species. The lifespan of a penguin is 20 years. Recently, bones of ancient penguins were discovered. These bones showed that the ancient penguins were even bigger than humans!
12. Swallow
Swallow belongs to the ‘Hirundinidae’ family and consists of 83 different species. Just like the Passerine, the Swallow is found all over the world except Antarctica. The swallow weighs around 10-60 grams and feeds on different kinds of insects.
13. Passerine
The Passerine belongs to the ‘Passeriformes’ family and consists of more than 6000 species. It also includes the common house sparrow and other types of sparrows. Its weight differs from species to species.
14. Heron
Part of the ‘Ardeidae’ family, the Heron is a beautiful bird with 64 different species. The normal weight of the Heron is 5 kg. However, the weight differs from species to species. It lays 3-7 eggs per season and preys upon fishes and crabs.
15. Seagull
The seagull is mainly found in the North Atlantic region. It weighs around 1.8 kg and belongs to the ‘Laridae’ family with more than 50 different species. The seagull drinks sea water and feeds on lake fishes and invertebrates.
16. Albatross
The Albatross is a sea bird and belongs to the ‘Diomedeidae’ family.The bird is native to the Southern and North Pacific Ocean. It feeds on sea animals such as fish and offal. The Albatross has a long life span of 50 years and breeds after every 18 months.
17. Cuckoo
The cuckoo belongs to the ‘Cuculidae’ family of birds and has around 54 different species. The bird is mostly found in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. It weighs around 110 grams and feeds on insects. The cuckoo lives on for about six years and lays 12-22 eggs per season.
18. Guinea Fowl
Native to Africa, the Guinea Fowl is found in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. The Guinea Fowl is part of the ‘Numididae’ family and weighs about 1.3 kg. It has dark greyish spots all over and the bird feeds on insects. However, it is preyed upon by humans in some parts of Africa.
19. The Peacock
The peacock is well known for its beauty. Both sexes of the bird have a crown. The peacock uses its beautiful feathers to attract peahens. The peacock has two different species out of which one is found in India and Sri Lanka while the other one in Burma. The main difference between these species is that the former is blue while the latter is green in color.
20. The Eagle
Although the eagle is very common, it has more than 60 species. The eagle belongs to the ‘Accipitridae’ family and is found almost everywhere in the world. It is well known for its sharp vision as it is 3.6 times sharper than that of a human.