The top 10 most beautiful Passerine birds in your opinion.

Onychorhynchus coronatus

Onychorhynchus coronatus

Well-Known Member
I was looking through the gallery earlier at some of the images zoochatters had taken of passerines and was struck by how beautiful many of these birds truly are. Doing a bit of background reading on a couple of these I was also struck by just how many of these are endangered and at risk of extinction (sometimes precisely because of their beauty or the beauty of their songs).

I thought it would be interesting if I'd pose a question to zoochatters (many of whom I know to be avid birders) to list their favourite species of this order.

What are in your opinion the top 10 most beautiful passerine birds ?

Please also feel free to write your reasons for the species you select and what you find beautiful about them and any personal experiences with these that you would like to share.

Look forward to hearing your replies ;)

O.C.
 
I couldn't do it. I decided right off the bat that I was going to restrict myself to species I have seen in the wild (otherwise the list is too big). From there I narrowed it down to this list, which I don't think I could rank or delete any from. There are just too many beautiful birds. Honorable mentions to every other passerine I have seen (I firmly believe that all birds are beautiful, except House Sparrows and maybe European Starlings).The birds that made this list are the ones that when I see them, I can't help but stop and admire them until they leave. One of these birds could sit still in front of me for several hours and I wouldn't be able to stop.

-Tree Swallow
-Great Tit
-Eastern Bluebird
-Yellow-headed Blackbird
-Baltimore Oriole
-Eastern and Western Meadowlarks
-Golden-winged Warbler
-Blue-winged Warbler
-Prothonotary Warbler
-Black-and-white Warbler
-Common Yellowthroat
-Hooded Warbler
-American Redstart
-Cape May Warbler
-Northern Parula
-Magnolia Warbler
-Blackburnian Warbler
-Yellow Warbler
-Chestnut-sided Warbler
-Black-throated Blue Warbler
-Canada Warbler
-Scarlet Tanager
-American Goldfinch
-Indigo Bunting
-Northern Cardinal
 
I think these 10 passerines are the most beautiful in my opinion (going from least to greatest)

10. Banded Pitta

9. Long-Tailed Paradise Whydah

8. Painted Bunting

7. Amazonian Royal Flycatcher

6. Andean Cock-Of-The Rock

5. Red-Legged Honeycreeper

4. Paradise Tanager

3. Superb Starling

2. Gouldian Finch

Notable Mentions (not in order):

- Beautiful Sunbird
- Superb Lyrebird
- Saffron Finch
- Blue Bird-Of- Paradise
- Pink Robin
- European Starling
- Stellar's Jay
- Raggiana Bird-Of-Paradise

1. Hildebrandt's Starling
 
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Thank you for your comment @birdsandbats and an impressive list for sure!

Many of these I unfortunately haven't seen either in the wild or captivity (I'll admit I'm not much of a birder) but I have seen the Northern parula, scarlet tanager,indigo bunting, Northern cardinal and hooded warbler in Mexico.

I've also seen some of the Eurasian species you've listed like the great tit in the wild many times.

Is there one of these birds or an encounter with one which stands out as being particularly special / meaningful to you ?
 
EternalPigeon said:
I think these 10 passerines are the most beautiful in my opinion (going from least to greatest)

10. Banded Pitta

9. Long-Tailed Paradise Whydah

8. Painted Bunting

7. Amazonian Royal Flycatcher

6. Andean Cock-Of-The Rock

5. Red-Legged Honeycreeper

4. Paradise Tanager

3. Superb Starling

2. Gouldian Finch

Notable Mentions (not in order):

- Beautiful Sunbird
- Superb Lyrebird
- Saffron Finch
- Pink Robin
- European Starling
- Stellar's Jay

1. Hildebrandt's Starling
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Thank you for your comment @EternalPigeon !

There are a few species here in both your list and honourable mentions that I've seen in the wild like the painted bunting, saffron finch, European starling (interesting choice!) and Stellar's Jay.

Also a couple in captivity like the Gouldian finch and the banded pitta but admittedly there are many here that I haven't seen in either the wild or captivity including some native to Brazil and South America.

Of all of the birds in your list I think the three that strike me as the most beautiful are the banded pitta, the Andean cock of the rock and the paradise tanager (probably the most beautiful of the three IMO).

Particularly love the beautiful ruby red colour of the Andean cock of the rock and the colours of the paradise tanager which looks like it was painted sometime in the 1930's by Matisse or Picasso (in fact same could be said of many tanagers).

Also how can I not love the Royal flycatcher ? Afterall the latin name of this bird with its beautiful crest that resembles an Aztec headdress is my name here on Zoochat.
 
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Just 10? thats it?

I'm sorry but I can't restrict myself to only 10 so i'll just mention my favourites and let it be.

Albert's Lyrebird
Superb Lyrebird
Garnet Pitta
African Pitta
Blue Pitta
Eurasian Robin
Pied Currawong
Pacific Robin
Azure Winged Magpie
Iberian Azure Winged Magpie
Superb Starling
Red Winged Starling
Painted Bunting
Blue Jay
Violaceous Euphonia
Aiirape Manakin (Critically endangered)
Seven Coloured Tanager
Paradise Tanager
Swallow Tanager
Lance Tailed Manakin
Chestnut Sparrow
White Throated Dipper
Blue Nuthatch
Eurasian Nuthatch
Blue Tit
Ultramarine Grosbeak
Brassy Breasted Tanager
Timor Sparrow
Great Kiskadee
Atlantic Royal Flycatcher

EDIT: I forgot one of my favourites

Blue Faced Laughing Thrush
 
Yoshistar888 said:
Just 10? thats it?

I'm sorry but I can't restrict myself to only 10 so i'll just mention my favourites and let it be.

Albert's Lyrebird
Superb Lyrebird
Garnet Pitta
African Pitta
Blue Pitta
Eurasian Robin
Pied Currawong
Pacific Robin
Azure Winged Magpie
Iberian Azure Winged Magpie
Superb Starling
Red Winged Starling
Painted Bunting
Blue Jay
Violaceous Euphonia
Aiirape Manakin (Critically endangered)
Seven Coloured Tanager
Paradise Tanager
Swallow Tanager
Lance Tailed Manakin
Chestnut Sparrow
White Throated Dipper
Blue Nuthatch
Eurasian Nuthatch
Blue Tit
Ultramarine Grosbeak
Brassy Breasted Tanager
Timor Sparrow
Great Kiskadee
Atlantic Royal Flycatcher
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I want people to try to be specific in their choices and limit it to just 10 but I'll make an exception here as your list is pretty damn good.

A really nice selection of tanagers here and I can agree with you on their beauty as I have seen more than a few in the wild like the brassy breasted tanager, seven coloured tanager (one of my favourite birds) and swallow tanager.

I have also seen the Eurasian robin, blue tit, Eurasian nuthatch, great kiskadee (see it every morning), Atlantic Royal flycatcher and Violaceous Euphonia in the wild too.

There are two birds from this list that stand out to me as being particularly beautiful that I have never seen in the wild or captivity and perhaps never will.

1. The garnet pitta has beautiful colours and it must be amazing to catch a glimpse of this bird in a South-East Asian rainforest.

2. The superb lyre bird is just fantastically beautiful with its tail that looks like a carnival decoration (and they just seem to have fantastic characters too).
 
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TeaLovingDave said:
How has no one even mentioned any birds-of-paradise yet? :p
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Oops...

Anyways I guess I'll mention a couple more that I missed

Wallace's Standardwing (I'm lucky enough to have seen a taxidermy specimen of this animal)
Twelve Wired Bird of Paradise
Blue Vanga
Azure Tit
Mountain Bluebird
Florida Scrub Jay
Tooth Billed Bowerbird
Regent Bowerbird
Flame Bowerbird
White Eared Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Varied Tit
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
I want people to try to be specific in their choices and limit it to just 10 but I'll make an exception here as your list is pretty damn good.

A really nice selection of tanagers here and I can agree with you on their beauty as I have seen more than a few in the wild like the brassy breasted tanager, seven coloured tanager (one of my favourite birds) and swallow tanager.

I have also seen the Eurasian robin, blue tit, Eurasian nuthatch, great kiskadee (see it every morning), Atlantic Royal flycatcher and Violaceous Euphonia in the wild too.
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Airape Manakin is a bird that desperately needs some sort of conservation program as it's habitat is constantly being logged.

Fun Fact: If you mispell the Airape Manakin as the "Airrape Manakin" the first or second result that comes up is me importing them in Zoo Community part 4.
 
Yoshistar888 said:
Airape Manakin is a bird that desperately needs some sort of conservation program as it's habitat is constantly being logged.

Fun Fact: If you mispell the Airape Manakin as the "Airrape Manakin" the first or second result that comes up is me importing them in Zoo Community part 4.
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Yes, I totally agree and I would very much like to see this bird be effectively conserved and survive the next century.

This manakin or the "soldadinho do Araripe" as it is known in Brazil ("little soldier of Araripe") is facing some very real threats and is going to definitely be facing even greater ones in the future.
 
birdsandbats said:
This is one I meant to be on my list but forgot to mention. They are truly incredible looking at close range.
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Only If I actually looked for birds during my trip to the USA :(.

Anyway of those on my list i've only seen one being the Pied Currawong. That includes the wild and captivity and yet again I've forgotten a few passerines, the Silver Eared Meisa, Blue Throated Parrotfinch, Tri Coloured Parrotfinch and Fijian Parrotfinch.
 
FBBird said:
Golden-breasted/Royal Starling
Superb (Spreo) Starling
Purple Glossy Starling
Amethyst/Violet-backed Starling
Splendid Glossy Starling
Emerald Starling
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Are these the honourable mentions or your top 10 or 5 ?

If they are your honourable mentions of African starlings then I can see why you have brought them up as they are gorgeous birds.

Have you seen any of these in the wild ?

I think I personally like the emerald starling and the violet backed starling most, incredible plumage !
 
10. Atlantic Canary. Simple but effective mustard color with some very nice grey and brown streaks, and the domestic varieties can be truly striking.
9. ʻIʻiwi. Neat hooked beak and vivid red body make it a very nice-looking bird.
8. Long-tailed tit. Small and with a variable pattern that one way or the other provides a nice muted palette.
7. Blue jay. The blue tastefully complements the white-and-grey underbelly.
6. Splendid fairywren. Beautiful shade of blue and indigo. Aesthetically pleasing.
5. Common starling. That iridescence looks great, almost like a weird blackish flying rainbow, and the white spots provide good contrast.
4. Superb bird-of-paradise. Very majestic normally and in its display mode, but the shape it assumes when courting females kind of takes away from the "beautiful" part.
3. Northern cardinal. It just pulls off that bright shade of red very well, especially looking great among dull green and snowy backgrounds where its colors really pop.
2. Masked bowerbird. Nice wing patterns combined with that orange-yellow body.
1. Gouldian finch. It somehow combines practically every color into one bird without looking overly tacky.
 
dinosauria said:
10. Atlantic Canary. Simple but effective mustard color with some very nice grey and brown streaks, and the domestic varieties can be truly striking.
9. ʻIʻiwi. Neat hooked beak and vivid red body make it a very nice-looking bird.
8. Long-tailed tit. Small and with a variable pattern that one way or the other provides a nice muted palette.
7. Blue jay. The blue tastefully complements the white-and-grey underbelly.
6. Splendid fairywren. Beautiful shade of blue and indigo. Aesthetically pleasing.
5. Common starling. That iridescence looks great, almost like a weird blackish flying rainbow, and the white spots provide good contrast.
4. Superb bird-of-paradise. Very majestic normally and in its display mode, but the shape it assumes when courting females kind of takes away from the "beautiful" part.
3. Northern cardinal. It just pulls off that bright shade of red very well, especially looking great among dull green and snowy backgrounds where its colors really pop.
2. Masked bowerbird. Nice wing patterns combined with that orange-yellow body.
1. Gouldian finch. It somehow combines practically every color into one bird without looking overly tacky.
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Thanks for your comment and great choices !

For a moment I couldn't picture what an Iʻiwi was (as I've mentioned I'm not much of a birder) and thought because of the name that it was possibly from New Zealand but then looked it up on google images and saw that it was one of the Hawaiian honey creepers.

A beautiful bird indeed and like most of the Hawaiian avifauna very much of conservation concern,
 
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