5. Gray-necked Rockfowl

These large ground dwellers are found in the tropical forests of Africa. Their diet consists of frogs, lizards, beetles, ants, termites, earthworms, centipedes, millipedes, and gastropods. Sometimes they will even wade into shallow water and collect crabs. They are fast on the ground and rarely fly long distances.

4. King of Saxony Bird of Paradise

There are many members included in the family Paradisaeidae, which are otherwise known as birds-of-paradise. This makes it very difficult to choose just one to add to my list of favorite birds. The male measures about 8 inches long, but he has two feathers attached to his head that are more than twice the length of his body. The mating display he puts on is fantastic!

3. Brown Kiwi

A kiwi looks and acts a lot more like a mammal than a bird. Indigenous to New Zealand, these flightless birds are nocturnal. They also cannot fly. Brown Kiwis can be around 20 inches tall and have an amusing gait.

2. Resplendent Quetzal

This national bird of Guatemala can be seen flying high above the canopy in a fantastic display of courtship. The male of this species is about 14 inches long with a tail that is around 25 inches long. The iridescent green body and red breast make the male Resplendent Quetzal eye-catching to humans as well as female Resplendent Quetzals.

1. Marvellous Spatuletail

The blue crest feathers and turquoise spatules make this medium-sized hummingbird a sight to see. These hummingbirds can only be found in the northern part of Peru in a very remote valley. The bright spatules are used to lure in females during mating season.

I’m sure you’ve seen some birds in the past that you thought were awesome as well, even if they were only in pictures. What do you think of these birds mentioned above? Are there others that you wish you could see in person?

Top Photo Credit: Smithsonian's National Zoo