Updated June 23, 2023 8.0K votes 1.5K voters 62.8K views
Over 1.5K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Most Interesting Birds on Earth
Voting Rules
Vote up the birds more surprising than being pooped on by one.
Birds are amazing animals. They've adapted to live in environments throughout the world. They're an extremely diverse group. Most fly, but many don't. Some are herbivores and some are carnivores. Some are shy and some are fearless. This list is full of the coolest birds on earth, from the fierce to the beautiful to the bizarre.
All of these cool bird species have a special talent or distinguishing feature that makes them unique — whether that's reaching speeds of 200 miles per hour or migrating more than 40,000 miles per year. Explore the world of interesting birds, and vote for the bird you think is the greatest.
The King of Saxony bird of paradise has magnificent head feathers that can grow up to twice its body length. The head feathers can be 50 cm long, while the bird itself is only about 22cm long.
The golden pheasant is native to western China, and it looks like it came straight out of a Chinese cultural museum, with its orange and blue fan-like cape, and its golden crest, and its bright red body. These birds are often hunted for sport or food.
The ribbon tailed astrapia has the largest tail-length-to-body ratio of any bird. The bird's body is usually about one foot long, while the tail feathers are three feet long. Its body looks a bit like the body of a peacock. The long tail is only found in the male bird.
The peregrine falcon is the world's fastest animal. It can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour by soaring to immense heights, and then tucking in its wings and plummeting to earth like a torpedo. No other creature is more aerodynamic.
The flightless kiwi is part of the family that includes ostriches and emus, despite the fact that it's only the size of a chicken. The kiwi has the largest egg to body size ratio of any bird — it lays an egg that is roughly 6 times the size of a chicken egg.
A male and female kiwi will remain mates for about 20 years, and the male is usually the one who incubates the eggs.
The King of Saxony bird of paradise has magnificent head feathers that can grow up to twice its body length. The head feathers can be 50 cm long, while the bird itself is only about 22cm long.
