The world of birds is incredibly rich and diverse in colors and sizes. Here is a list of small yet vividly colorful birds.
Dwarf Kingfisher. This bird can be considered the champion of colorfulness. Its dominant colors are red and yellow, with yellow on the underside and dark blue on the upper side. This species inhabits the forests of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Black-backed Kingfisher. (Photo: creationearth)
African Emerald Cuckoo. This bird resides in countries in Africa: Burundi, Congo, and a few neighboring nations. (Photo: naturfokus)
Ruddy Kingfisher. This species has the brightest colors among kingfishers. This adorable bird lives in tropical and subtropical forests in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, it is losing its habitat. (Photo: Calvin)
Gouldian Finch. The Gouldian Finch is one of the most beautiful birds in the world. It is native to Australia. This species is currently listed as endangered, with a population of about 2,500 individuals. Both male and female birds have black, green, yellow, and red colors. To differentiate between males and females, one can look at the chest; females have a mauve chest, while males have a purple one. (Photo: spectrumaquarium.blogspot.com)
Golden-crowned Gonolek. This bird belongs to the Laniarius family and is carnivorous. It mainly lives in Africa, in bushes and forested areas. (Photo: safaritalk)
Australian Lyrebird. This bird has a “crown” of orange-yellow feathers and black wing feathers, with a yellow bill and yellow eyes. They mainly inhabit Australia and feed on insects, fruits, and berries. (Photo: visitnsw)
Red Parrot. This species lives on the Moluccas Islands, Indonesia, and surrounding islands. (Photo: jonathanhornbuckle)
Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker. This bird mainly inhabits the Himalayas, China, and the Malay Peninsula. It has an orange-yellow belly, green back, and blue tail. Their diet consists of insects, spiders, and nectar. (Photo: leesbird)
Black-headed Oriole. This bird lives in South Asia, on the Nicobar and Andaman Islands. Their diet mainly consists of fruits and insects. (Photo: walkthroughindia)
Masked Trogon. This species inhabits humid highland forests. Males are typically brighter than females, and females have a white ring around their eyes. (Photo: planetscott)
Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus). Also known as the Rainbow-billed Toucan, it ranges from southern Mexico to northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela. Its colorful bill is about one-third of its body length, which is 51 cm.
Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens). The male has cobalt blue plumage to attract females. They can grow up to 13 cm and are found in dense shrublands or acacia forests in Australia.
Fire-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis). This bird is often seen in forested highlands in Costa Rica and western Panama. Its 10 cm long body is covered with shimmering plumage, transitioning from deep orange at the throat to yellow and light green on the belly and back, and sparkling royal blue on the chest and head.
Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus). This bird is famous for its iridescent blue plumage and the eye-spotted tail that it displays to attract females. It originates from the Indian subcontinent but has been introduced to many other places worldwide, including North America, Europe, South Africa, and Australia.
Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus). It stands 37 cm tall. Both males and females have lilac necks and chests, turquoise bellies, green heads, orange-red faces, and royal blue tail tips. They inhabit eastern and southern Africa, from Ethiopia and Angola to northern South Africa.
Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica). It displays bright red plumage on its back, a patch of yellow on the nape, and a bare crown revealing electric blue skin underneath. It also has two unique crescent-shaped tail feathers. During courtship, the male fans out its neck feathers to reveal a shimmering green mantle.
Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). This bird features turquoise, green, and red plumage and lives in cloud forests ranging from southern Mexico to western Panama. Males have a yellow-green crest and tail feathers that can be nearly 1m long.
Spotted Cotinga (Cotinga cayana). It is a tropical bird that inhabits forests and jungles in northern South America, including the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The male has striking light blue plumage on its chest and belly, black-blue wings, and a bright red throat. This species measures 18 to 23 cm in length.
