10 Most Unique Birds in the World! | Explore the Green Forest

When we think about birds, we pretty much have a clear idea of what these animals look like. They have feathers, they fly, well, most of them do, they build nests, and they have beaks. Some of them are very similar to one another, but some others are really outstanding. Whether it's that they have a colorful plumage or long and extravagant beaks, some birds are just so beautiful that we had to make a video to honor them all. Today we'll be looking at 10 of the most unique birds in the world. Check out all of these birds and get ready to see one of the most unique flying animals in the world as you make it to the top of the list. You might actually find some surprising birds that you've not seen in your life before. With all that said and done, let's begin, shall we? Number 10. The Long Waddled Umbrella Bird. Just look at this one. It looks like it just came out of a hairdressing appointment. Its name is the Long Waddled Umbrella Bird, and it is an exotic bird that you can mostly find in all the way down to a province in Ecuador called El Oro. Their name, Long Waddled, comes from the waddle of feathers along their long throats that is very evident on males, while a bit shorter on females. This waddle hangs down 42 centimeters from the center of their chest, and it inflates during courtship rituals. But what's even more interesting is the fact that they can control this feature and retract it during their flight. They are frugivorous, which means that they love to eat fruits, mostly from plants that you and I would never try, like laurels. I personally don't even know what a laurel is. Number 9. Kakapo. Kakapo have also been called the Owl Parrot. How many flightless birds can you name? I can think of a few, and here's another one to add to that list. Even though it doesn't seem like it, the Kakapo is a ground-dwelling flightless bird, currently in danger of extinction due to the fact that we only literally have 125 of them left in the world. Part of that is because of the colonization of New Zealand, which is the country where these birds are from. However, before we go on blaming it all on humans, let me also point out that these birds only mate around three times per decade. So, yeah, while it may be our fault in a little bit, it's also kind of their fault, I suppose. That also explains the small size of their population. Luckily, each of these birds has been properly identified, and there's a special program established in New Zealand called Kakapo Recovery Program, in which they can track each Kakapo and find ways to help their population grow and remain with us. In order to keep them safe from predators, the Kakapo are kept on the safe islands of anchor and codfish, and there's also a small group of them in an island called a Little Barrier. After all, it seems like they're in good hands, and we hope it stays that way. Number 8. The King Vulture. Vultures are usually the kind of bird that no one is really interested in. When you see them depicted in movies or in other media, they're the kind of bird that's just waiting for a poor helpless animal to die so they can eat. However, if you look at the King Vulture, the case might be a bit different. Yes, they're birds of prey, just like all the other vultures, but these ones have a very unique appearance that make them stand out among their relatives. Most of their feathers are white, with some gray and black along their tail. But the most impressive thing about them is their colorful head. The head can be anything between blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow. They are New World birds, which means that they are native to the American continent. So, you can find them in the tropical lowlands of Central and South America. You can see that they played an important role in ancient civilizations of the area, as they are one of the most depicted birds in the Maya Codices, which are writings that date back to the time when the Spaniards had not colonized the lands yet. Number 7. Timix Tregopan. Timix Tregopan is a medium-sized bird, part of the pheasants, and native to the Himalayan region. The female is a beautiful brown bird with white spots all over its body and blue circular eye skin. But the most outstanding one is the male species, with its stocky body covered in crimson and orange feathers, with white spots, and blue facial hair, in addition to horns and their unique inflatable dart blue lapis. Their name commemorates the life and studies of a Dutch naturalist This is just one out of dozens of animals that were named after him in the 19th century. These birds tend to be very lonely, shy, and as opposed to other birds in their group, Timix Tregopans like to nest in trees. They can live in altitudes as high as 4,600 meters, and they're friendly towards humans. Their diet includes fruits, seeds, buds, and sprouts, supplemented by some insects from time to time. Number 6. The Frigatebird. The Frigatebirds are a group of seabirds that live across different tropical and subtropical oceans, spreading all the way from Central and South America, all the way to Southeast Asia and the north of Australia. Their plumage is predominantly black, but the male species has a very unique red guller pouch on its chest, which inflates during mating season to attract females. They can manage to soar in the skies for weeks, and when they nest, they usually prefer trees and lowlands or on the ground once they find a remote island to settle on. Since they are seabirds, they like to prey on fish and squid that come to the surface when they're chased by marine predators like the tuna fish. Something very interesting about these beautiful birds is that they are considered kleptoparasites. Kleptoparasite is a term which means that they literally tend to steal food from other birds, and sometimes they also snatch seabird chicks from their nests. Also, they are monogamous, and they only lay one egg per breeding season. And if that wasn't enough, their parental care is one of the longest among birds. It sounds like they're very family-oriented. I guess that does make up for all the stealing they do. Who am I kidding, they still steal a lot. Number 5. The Scarlet Ibis There are about 27 species of ibis in the world today, but none of them has a plumage as bright and colorful as the one of the Scarlet Ibis. The bird, as you probably figured out by now, has a brilliant scarlet coloration that makes it easy to spot among other birds. It is so colorful and unique that it became one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago. In fact, you can even see them featured on their coat of arms and on their $1 bill note. This bird can be found in parts of South America and the Caribbean islands, and they have protected status throughout the world. One of the most important places for this bird is the Canopy Swamp in the island of Trinidad, which is a wetland reserve that was developed to provide the Scarlet Ibis with a safe space to live. These birds are very social and community-oriented, so if you visit their habitat one day, you'll likely get to interact with them. Number 4. The Hoatzin When you hear the sounds of this bird, you might think it's the sound of the deteriorating lungs of a heavy smoker. But while this sound is quite disturbing, the looks of this bird make it one of the most strange and beautiful creatures in the world. The colorful Hoatzin lives in the swamps and mangroves of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, two of the most important geographical features of South America. They have a long neck and a small head with a blue featherless face. All of these features make it very easy for us to spot them in the wild. As herbivores, their main source of food comes from fruits and leaves, and they also have a crop in their digestive system, which is a spot in which they store vegetable matter that later gets fermented. For that reason, they're also known as stinkbirds. You can imagine how smelly these birds get after all the fermentation that goes on inside them. This is the national bird of Guyana, and currently there are no major threats that endanger this bird. After all, not many humans want to poach birds that smell funny, but they surely do enjoy watching them in the wild. Number 3. Scarlet Iwi That's a pretty exotic name that I'm sure I just butchered, isn't it? That's because the Scarlet Iwi is a Hawaiian bird. In fact, the Iwi is the third most common native land bird in the Hawaiian islands. They are also known as the Hawaiian honeycreepers, While this feature along with the way they hover in place might remind you of hummingbirds, they are actually more related to finches, which is another family of birds that are also known for their strong beaks. They used to prefer the nectar of the Lobelias, but that started to shift in 1902 when those plants became less abundant. Instead, the Iwi started to eat from other trees. Other than that, they also like to eat arthropods. Although the Iwi is considered sacred by native Hawaiians, this little one is currently threatened by diseases such as powpox and avian malaria. But luckily, there are organizations in different parts of Hawaii that seek to preserve the species through the development of different nature reserves. Now it's time for today's Best Pick! The picture I chose for today is one of a very large bird chasing after a human. What would you do if you ever found a bird as big and terrifying as this one? Luckily, there is no such thing in the world today. Well, at least not that I know of. But I found another bird that looks a bit scary and still is one of the most beautiful and unique birds out there. Number 2 Vulturine Guinea Fowl In the heart of Kenya lives a bird that is so common, yet not much is known about it. The Vulturine Guinea Fowl, also known as the Royal Guinea Fowl, has a very distinctive blue body and blurred red eyes. The combination is majestic and honestly quite intimidating. Their main source of food comes from seeds in animals like rodents, insects, and even small reptiles. Sometimes they also feed from fruits and other forms of vegetation. You can find them in hot tropical countries in Africa, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, and they enjoy the dry conditions from the desert. Although they are able to fly, they usually stay on the ground, where they are known to be fast runners. If you come across the male Vulturine Guinea Fowl, you will immediately feel threatened as it mostly keeps an aggressively strong posture. Females, on the other hand, are more passive and their body language is not that threatening. But regardless of their gender, they are mostly social animals that are known to form flocks of around 25 birds as long as they are not in breeding season. I saved the best for last, but first I have a quick challenge that takes only 5 seconds to complete. If you can leave a like and subscribe within the next 5 seconds, you'll get 10 years of amazing luck. Just try it, it really works! Number 1 The Shoebill Stork The Shoebill Stork is so unique that sometimes you might look at it and wonder whether you're staring at a bird or something else. In fact, some people claim that it looks like a dinosaur. Its name derives from the shape of their large beak, which apparently looks like a big shoe. Others say it looks like a big wooden log. One thing is for sure, that beak is big enough to dismember the fish, reptiles and even small birds that the Shoebill preys on. They live in the tropical parts of East Africa, all the way from South Sudan to Zambia, and they've been known for centuries. Even the ancient Arabs and Egyptians got to interact with them. They were so important that they even got documented in some petroglyphs found in eastern Algeria. If you ever find one in the wild, you might be a bit surprised when you see that the bird is not moving. You might even think it's a statue. However, this is only one of its many features that makes it unique among other birds in the world. Those are all the birds I wanted to show you for today. Are you impressed? Did I miss any? I'm sure there are many more birds out there and I would like to know which one is your favorite. With all that said and done, I will see you all next time. Later everybody!