The Most Brilliantly-Colored Medium Sized Birds in the World

Many of the most colorful birds in the world are small species. But there are also a considerable number of colorful medium-sized birds. Here are some of the most brightly-colored medium sized birds in the world.

All the birds on the list weigh not less than 1 kilogram.

 1.) Temminck’s Tragopan (Tragopan temminckii)

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The Temminck's Tragopan is a colorful medium-sized pheasant. It can grow up to 64 cm in length. The male is a stocky red-and-orange bird with white-spotted plumage, black bill and pink legs. It has a bare blue facial skin, inflatable dark-blue lappet and horns. The female is a white-spotted brown bird with blue circular eye skin.

2.) Indigo Banded Kingfisher (Alcedo cyanopectus)

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The Indigo-banded Kingfisher is a brilliantly-colored bird native to the Philippines and can be found in the island of Luzon and nearby islands. The Indigo-banded Kingfisher feeds on fish and aquatic insects. It perches on rocks and overhanging branches and foliage and dives steeply into the water to catch its prey. It is one of the largest species of kingfisher in the world. 

3.) Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)

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The Scarlet Macaw is a large, colorful macaw that can weigh up to 1 kg with a body length of 81 cm. It is native to Central and South America. This colorful bird is the national bird of Honduras.  

4.) Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)

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The Blue-and-Yellow Macaw is a colorful parrot native to Central and South America. This brightly colored bird that can reach a body length of 86 cm is an endangered species in Trinidad and is on the verge of being extirpated from Paraguay. This macaw species that can weigh up to 1.3 kg still remains widespread and fairly common in a large part of mainland South America. It is also known as the Blue-and-Gold Macaw.

5.) Red-and-Green Macaw (Ara chloropterus)

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The Red-and-green Macaw is a large macaw which can attain a weight of up to 1.7 kg and a body length of up to 100 cm with a wingspan of up to 125 cm. It is native to South America. It is also known as the Green-winged Macaw.

6.) Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

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The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest of all macaws with a length of up to 100 cm or 3.3 ft from the tip of its head to the tip of its tail. It is also the largest flying parrot species in the world. It can weigh as much as 1.7 kg and has a wingspan of up to 86 cm. It is native to South America.

7.) Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

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The Wood Duck is a beautifully colored duck found in North America. This colorful North American waterfowl is typically 54 cm in length with a wingspan of up to 73 cm.

It is also commonly called Carolina Duck.

8.) Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)

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The Mandarin Duck is a lovely-looking colorful medium-sized duck that grows up to a length of 49 cm with a wingspan of up to 75 cm. The male is very much brightly colored compared to the female species. The male has a red bill, large white crescent above the eye and reddish face and "whiskers". The breast is purple with two vertical white bars and the flanks ruddy, with two orange "sails" at the back.

9.) Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)

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The Golden Pheasant or Chinese Pheasant is a colorful gamebird native to China. It can attain a length of up to 125 cm. It is characterized by its golden crest and rump and bright red body. The deep orange "cape" can be spread in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except its bright yellow eye, with a pinpoint black pupil.

See also 

• Extremely Colorful Small Birds For Pets
• The 20 Most Brilliantly Colored Birds in the World
• Top 10 Most Brilliantly Colored Large Birds in the World

Bizarre and Unique Sleeping Habits of Birds

Some bird species are unusual in their sleeping habits. Scroll down to find out their bizarre sleeping habits.

1.) Vernal Hanging Parrot

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A few parrots of the genus Loriculus like the Vernal Hanging Parrot, are unique in their sleeping style. These birds roost by hanging upside down which make them unique among birds for this peculiar position of sleeping.

2.) American Flamingo

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American Flamingos and many other bird species have unique sleeping style. These birds tuck their head into their back when sleeping. These birds bend their heads over their backs and tuck their bills in their back feathers when sleeping. While other species place their beaks among their breast feathers.

3.) Lesser Stripe Swallow

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Many perching birds like the Lesser Stripe Swallows have a tendon locking mechanism that helps them hold on to the perch when they are asleep.

4.) Swift

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Swifts are among the few animals in the world with the most peculiar sleeping habit. These birds are believed to be able to sleep in flight and radar observations suggest that they orient themselves to face the wind in their roosting flight. Don’t imitate these birds especially if you are driving.

5.) Common Poorwill

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The only known species of bird that enters a state of hibernation is the Common Poorwill, a nocturnal bird that can be found from British Columbia down to Mexico.

6.) Owlet-nightjar

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Some hummingbirds, owlet-nightjars, nightjars and woodswallows go into a nightly state of torpor accompanied with a reduction of their metabolic rates.

7.) Quails and Pheasants

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Pheasants and Quails, including many other ground birds, roost in trees.

8.) Numerous Birds

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Many birds rest on one leg, while some may pull up their legs into their feathers, especially in cold weather.

Some birds have also demonstrated the capacity to fall into slow-wave-sleep on one hemisphere of the brain at a time. The birds tend to exercise this ability depending upon its position relative to the outside of the flock. This may allow the eye opposite the sleeping hemisphere to remain vigilant for predators by viewing the outer margins of the flock.

See also

• Bizarre Sleeping Habits of Animals
• The 20 Most Brilliantly Colored Birds in the World

Bizarre and Oddest-Looking Birds in the World

Creepy-Looking Winged-Billed-Creatures

There are about 9,000 species of birds. With this numerous number, there are colorful birds, large and small birds and there are also creepy-looking birds. Here are some of the creepiest-looking winged animals.

1. Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius)


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Tall, large and long bill, long legs, and hairless long neck, do you think you think this peculiar-looking winged-creature can't scare you? This wild bird is regarded as the heaviest species of stork - the Greater Adjutant, a large bird that can be found in Assam and Cambodia migrates to Vietnam, Thailand and Burma during winter. The Greater Adjutant is an extraordinary large bird, typically 145-150 cm tall with a 250 cm wingspan. You will surely run as fast as you can once you encountered this creepy bird.

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30+ Interesting and Random Fact About Amazing Birds

Birds are amazing creatures and envied by many others including humans for their ability to fly. Here are some amusing facts about different species of bird in the world.

1. Vultures are truly bizarre flying creatures. They urinate on their feet to keep cool on summer days and to kill bacteria. They also have the deadliest diet of any animal: They eat dead and decayed carcasses which contain anthrax, botulism and cholera and can eat 20% of its body weight. They can wreck roofs too.

2. Gannets are fascinating and very tough birds. Gannett is the only kind of animal that can crash into water at a speed of 120 km/h and survive.

3. Ostrich, the largest bird on the planet, is the fastest animal on two legs, reaching speeds of up to 74 km/h.

4. Hummingbirds are very voracious eaters. They need to eat every 10 minutes and every day it consumes 2/3 of its body weight.

5. Peregrine Falcons, the fastest of all animals, can dive at a breathtaking speed of 320 km/h.

6. Kiwi has the largest egg in relation to its body. The egg is 25% of the female Kiwi’s body weight.

7. Cuckoos are brood parasites, the female Cuckoo lays her egg in the nest of Reed Warblers then mother Reed Warbler takes care of a chick ten times as heavy as she is.

8. In order to attract a mate, the male Bowerbird builds the biggest, most decorative and most colorful house.

9. Parrots are among the most intelligent animals in the world. They can mimic human speech and some can even understand what they are mimicking. They can solve the best puzzle, and even have the intelligence of the average six-year-old.

10. Crows are smart bird and are very clever. They use the crosswalk as their own nutcracker.

11. Eagles are very strong flying creatures. They can carry four times their weight during flight.

12. Other bird species dance to attract a mate but the Demoiselle Cranes start dancing only when they find a mate already.

13. The tails of the male Peacocks attract perfect mate.

14. During incubation period, female Hornbills must stay in a little cave with rambunctious young for three months.

15. Male Emperor Penguins are very patient and durable animals. They spend 65 days in the cold Antarctic landscape with an egg balanced on his toes with winds of 160 km/h while waiting for the females to return with food.

16. Male Jacanas are caring fathers. They have to keep taking care of eggs because the female squashes them. These bird species have huge feet that prevent them from sinking in the water.

17. Male Rheas are very caring and affectionate fathers. They spend 40 days and nights looking after the eggs, and after that, spend two years taking care of them.

18. Superb Lyrebirds are really superb because they use their calls to imitate over 20 bird calls.

19. The vomit of Giant Petrel smells horrible.

20. Macaw eats clay.

21. Brown Pelican dives in the water at a speed of 140 km/h in places like Galveston, Texas, USA.

22. The African Crowned Eagle performs a deadly dance to attract females.

23. Cassowaries are too big to fly and have hair-like feathers. They also have bony casque that is used as a helmet to protect it against the forest.

24. Emus are closely related to Cassowaries. Male Emus do strange performance to attract a female.

25. Weaver Birds are amazing birds. The male builds nest of straw that can house 400 birds and weigh one ton.

26. The slimy nest of Cave Swiftlets is one of the most expensive foods in the world.

27. Baby Torrent Ducks are very brave animals. They jump waterfalls at one day old just to keep up with their parents.

28. Millions of Flamingos can dance in unison in 140 degree pools of poison.

29. Kakapo has the loudest call of all birds. It uses its call to attract a female, though with little success.

30. Keas of New Zealand are among the most destructive birds in the world. They cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage annually from rental cars in New Zealand alone, and then some other items as well.

31. Brown Pelican has one of the largest mouths of any animal in the world. Its mouth is 3 times bigger than its stomach.

32. Lesser Florican is one of the rarest animals in the world. It can jump up to 6 feet to attract a female.

33. Most male species do the moves to attract a mate but the female Blue-footed Booby does a little dance to attract a male.

See also

• The 20 Most Brilliantly Colored Birds inthe World
• 30 Most Colorful and Prettiest Pet Birds in the World
• Meet Pitohui, Ifrita and Rufous: The Most Poisonous Birds on Earth

Amazingly Unique Nesting, Mating and Hatching Behavior of Birds

Amazingly Unique Nesting, Mating and Hatching Behavior of Birds 

Some species of birds have unusual way of courting, mating, nesting and even hatching. Here are some of them.

Boobies and Gannets

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These birds have an unusual way of hatching their eggs. Boobies and gannets hatch their eggs by standing on them,warming them with their webbed feet.

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