These 15 Birds Look Like Mythical Creatures Brought to Life

The most beautiful aspect of the world we live in is the diversity within our animal kingdom. Birds are particularly colorful, many with a unique pattern of markings that makes it hard to believe they’re even real. From feathers to fluff and beaks to crowns, here are 15 birds that look like they belong in a fantasy novel.

Great Potoo

The great potoo looks like the anime version of a snowy owl, with huge eyes to prove it. This comical-looking bird is the largest of the potoo species and resembles an owl, but it isn’t. Although they share some similarities, the potoo is a distinct species. They’re more elusive and keep to themselves, camouflaging during the day and hunting at night.

As shy as they might be, the insects they prey on would beg to differ. Great potoos hunt large flying insects, including katydids, crickets, beetles, and grasshoppers. It’s also not unusual to see them prey on bats and other small birds. These foods are native to Central and South America. Great potoos often inhabit rainforests and can sometimes be found around the outskirts of farmland.

Standard-Winged Nightjar

The standard-winged nightjar looks like a normal bird until it flashes its unique tail. These flight feathers, known as “standards,” are found on male birds and are displayed during the mating season. You could say that the longer the tail, the better a male’s chance at breeding with a female!

These birds are active at night and during dawn and dusk, making them fairly elusive. During mating season, male standard-winged nightjars can be territorial as they seek out a female. Like other small bird species, their diets consist of small insects, such as beetles and moths. They’re native to Africa, specifically residing from southern Senegal to Ethiopia.

Cream-Colored Woodpecker

This may not look like any woodpecker you’re familiar with, but it does exist. The cream-colored woodpecker bears a resemblance to everyone’s favorite Pokémon, and it primarily inhabits the lowlands of South America, particularly in the Amazonian region. While many woodpeckers are known for the noise their beaks make when pecking, the cream-colored woodpecker is known for its high-pitched chirps.

They’re not an overtly social species, but break off into pairs during mating season. They use their long beaks to excavate holes in trees, which are then used for nesting and laying eggs. These beaks are also excellent at catching ants and termites, which they eat along with fruits and nuts.

Capunchinbird

The capuchinbird, also known as the “calfbird,” has a name as unique as its appearance. Its body is orange with black wings, while its head is a bright shade of bluish-gray and noticeably smaller than its body, giving it a disproportionate look. Despite its sunken head, this bird is a voracious member of the family Cotingidae, native to northeastern South America.

Capuchinbirds enjoy eating fruit often found throughout South America’s rainforests, as well as large insects. They’re usually solitary birds, preferring to live alone and hunt solo. You’re likely to hear these birds before you see them, as their call sounds like the low “moo” of a cow.

Golden Fruit Dove

When you think of a dove, gray feathers often come to mind. However, on the islands of Viti Levu, Beqa, Ovalau, the Waya island group, and Gau, the golden fruit dove looks drastically different. Here, the dove’s features are bright golden yellow, with green rings around its eyes, feet, and beak. These colors help it blend in with the flora in rainforests while it hunts for berries and small tropical fruit.

Golden fruit doves are solitary birds, typically found high up in forest canopies. Their call is easily recognizable because it sounds like a dog barking. With that being said, it’s very rare to see one of these birds in the open.

Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Victoria crowned pigeons are showstoppers for a number of reasons. The most obvious is their “crown” of blue feathers, which resembles a peacock’s tail on top of their heads. It’s easy to see why these birds were named after royalty, with their deep blue feathers and contrasting red eyes.

These pigeons also prefer to remain on the ground, and typically only take flight in self-defense. Victoria crowned pigeons are among the largest pigeon species in the world and are native to northern New Guinea. Their diet is relatively consistent with most other pigeons, consisting of insects, fruits, and nuts. The Victoria crowned pigeon is a Near Threatened species due to hunting and habitat loss, so seeing them in the wild is an incredibly rewarding experience.

White Bellbird

The white bellbird is pretty normal-looking until you see its teal face. With bright white feathers and a distinctive black wattle, this bird is hard to miss in the wild. If its coloring doesn’t catch your attention, then its call might–it’s the loudest bird in the world.

If that isn’t enough to capture your attention, then the wattle that dangles from its neck might be. This long feather-covered wattle is used during mating rituals and attracts females. This is also when the white bellbird’s calls are the loudest, heard throughout South America’s Guiana Shield forests, where this bird is found.

Spinifex Pigeon

The spinifex pigeon doesn’t have a dramatic wattle, but it does have a dramatic haircut. The mohawk-like feathers at the top of its head make it look like it just rolled out of bed. The striped brown, black, gray, and red feathers make it one of the most unusual-looking pigeons in the world.

These pigeons inhabit northern and central Australia, typically residing in dry grasslands. They need a constant supply of water, so they tend to remain near permanent water sources. Their diet consists primarily of seeds, which they find throughout the grasslands they inhabit.

Vulturine Parrot

The vulturine parrot looks more akin to a hellbird than an actual parrot. With bold red wings and a raven-like face, this is the gothic species of the bird world. It’s also appropriately known as the “Dracula parrot,” and is found in New Guinea’s montane rainforests.

Despite its nickname, the vulturine parrot does not eat meat. Its diet primarily consists of fruit, and it’s a big fan of figs, specifically. Interestingly, these parrots don’t “speak” or mimic human speech like other parrot species. Instead, they make scream-like sounds and raspy caws.

Bobolink

The bobolink might be a blackbird, but it looks almost too cute to exist. This tiny bird is entirely black and white except for its unique yellow “hat” that covers the back of its head and neck. It also boasts an impressive flying record, covering 12,500 miles annually between North and South America.

A common nickname for this bird is “rice eater.” During its migrations, it’s known to snack on rice and similar grains. Although their population numbers have declined, you may still find one in your backyard if you are in its migration path.

Greater Sage Grouse

No, that’s not a creature from Game of Thrones; it’s a greater sage grouse, also known as “the sagehen.” They get their name from the “sagebrush they eat” throughout North America. Their spindly tail feathers give them a menacing appearance, but it’s the two sacs on the grouse’s chest that draw the most attention.

Called “gular sacs,” these fill with air and are used during mating rituals. The more prominent the gular sac, the more likely a male is to find a partner. The display itself is relatively intimidating, and males can appear double their size once these sacs are fully inflated.

Shoebill Stork

The shoebill stork looks like a character from Alice in Wonderland, but it’s a very real, very docile wading bird. This stork gets its name from the shoe-sized bill on the front of its head. This is primarily used for catching large fish, such as catfish, tilapia, and lungfish. Shoebill storks have even been known to catch and eat eels, water snakes, and small crocodiles.

The shoebill stork can be found in the Nile wetlands of eastern Africa. Despite their gentle nature toward human observers, their beaks hide surgically sharp edges that decapitate their prey before consuming them whole. This is bad news for fish, as a shoebill stork can wait motionless for hours until a meal comes along. The shoebill stork’s height makes this even more intimidating, as they can grow up to five feet tall.

Sclater’s Crowned Pigeon

Victoria isn’t the only one with a crowned pigeon–meet Sclater’s crowned pigeon, the showstopper of the southern lowland forests of New Guinea. This pigeon has a gray and white crown atop its head, bright red eyes, and maroon breast feathers against a midnight blue body. Its appearance is surreal, and it can weigh more than four pounds. Unlike many other bird species, males and females have a similar appearance, with little difference in coloring or plumage.

Their diet consists primarily of seeds, fruit, and berries that are found on the ground. Since they typically remain at ground level, they are natural foragers. Although these birds are capable of flight, they’re also surprisingly quick on their feet.

Golden Pheasant

The golden pheasant resembles something out of an ancient text. Its vibrant hues of blazing orange, bright red, yellow, and blue mimic those of the legendary phoenix. While no immortal qualities have been found in the golden pheasant, it is still a magnificent bird to witness.

Golden pheasants are primarily found throughout the forests of western and central China. These mountainous regions provide the perfect camouflage for a bird that typically stands out in any other setting. Their diets are relatively mundane, consisting of seeds, grains, insects, and some vegetation. Red golden pheasants are often sold as an exotic pheasant breed. Sadly, this can impact local populations due to capture, trade, and the diminishing of their timber forests, though the species is still listed as Least Concern.

Amazonian Royal Flycatcher

The Amazonian royal flycatcher appears to be a perfectly normal bird until its crest is raised. This fan, featuring bright orange, black, and blue colors, is used primarily during mating rituals. However, it can also be raised during territorial disputes between male birds. This display is impressive, especially when males have variations in their crest coloration.

These birds are found in the Amazon basin of South America and prefer humid forests and lowlands. As their name implies, the diet of the Amazonian royal flycatcher consists of dragonflies, cicadas, moths, and flies. These birds are skilled hunters, able to pluck a single insect out of the air in one shot. Despite its flashy appearance, the Amazonian royal flycatcher prefers to be solitary and is an elusive species.

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