Flights of fantasy
- POSTED ON: 28 Sep, 2018
- TOTAL VIEWS: 1310 Views
- POSTED BY: Bhavya Venkatesh
- ARTICLE POINTS: 150 Points
The peacock is undeniably beautiful, with a spectacular fan of feathers and an iridescent neck. It is one of the most ravishing birds in the world, causing you to marvel at the beauty of nature. There are other birds across the world that also sport multicoloured plumage and may almost vie for space beside the peacock.
In each of these images, move the slider from right to left and watch these birds reveal their lovely hues.
1. Rainbow lorikeet
Loud screeching parrots, in any woodland, are common, but imagine if you were to be blinded by colours. The rainbow lorikeets, with their bright red beaks, blue heads and bellies, green wings, tail and back and a yellow breast are a sight to behold. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia.
2. Gouldian finch
The Gouldian finch strikes a startling contrast to the landscape of western Australia with its many colours. Also known as the rainbow finch, it looks almost handcrafted because of the blocks of colours on its body. There are different types, generally differentiated by the colour of their head. It is because of its wonderful colours that it is one of the region’s most endangered birds.
3. Oriental dwarf kingfisher
With a splashing of pinkish-coral colours, the oriental dwarf kingfisher is a tiny predator. Only 13 cm long, it has a rich diet of geckos, frogs, snails, crabs and spiders. It dives deep into the water to catch its prey. It is found all over South-east Asia.
4. Keel-billed toucan
The keel-billed toucan lives in South America in holes in trees. It has one of the most colourful beaks in the world — a mixture of green, red, yellow, blue and orange. Its beak is made of keratin, the same substance that makes up human hair and fingernails.
5. Paradise tanager
The multicoloured paradise tanager delights birdwatchers in the Amazon basin in South America. Its apple-green cap and blue abdomen make it unique. This songbird is also the quintessential ‘early bird’. It rises early and finishes its cleaning and feeding routine, while other birds are still asleep.
6. Splendid fairy-wren
The splendid fairy-wren lives up to its name. It shimmers in electric shades of blue and turquoise, with inky black feathers in between. Yet another native of Australia, this bird is much like the peafowl — males are decked in attractive colours while females look relatively dull.
7. Macaw
Imagine you are walking in a forest in Mexico, and in the midst of all that thick foliage, you hear a squawk and a streak of electric blue and yellow. What could it be? Well, it’s a macaw. It belongs to the parrot family and comes in many colours, from blue and yellow, to red, green and orange, and more. They are intelligent social birds with outgoing personalities, and are native to Central and South America.