7 of Earth's Rarest Birds

Nov 17, 2023, 08:39 IST

Moohita Kaur Garg

Golden Pheasant

The golden pheasant is native to the Western forests of China. These birds are named after their golden crests, the males are known for their colourful bodies. Its tail is 2/3 the length of its entire body. The bird can grow up to 41 inches long. Only about 1000-2000 of these beautiful birds are left.

Cebu Flowerpecker 

Once thought to be extinct, this bird is endemic to Cebu Islands in the Philippines. Its scientific name is Dicaeum Quadricolor, owing to the four colours of a male's plumage: blue, red, white, and yellow. As per Nature Anywhere, only 105 members of the species are left.

Sisserou or Imperial Amazon

Imperial Amazon's are critically endangered, with only about 50 surviving mature individuals in the wild. This species is Dominican Republic's national bird.

Blue-eyes Ground Dove

Found in the Cerrado region of Brazil, less than a decade ago, the bird was thought to be extinct. However, in 2015, 12 individuals of the rarest and the most endangered dove species in the world were rediscovered.

Kakapo

A flightless species of parrot, the Kakapo, is endemic to New Zealand. Once common on the island of New Zealand, by the 1990s only 50 individuals were left. Now, unfortunately, none can be found in the wild.

Stresemann's Bristlefront

Till a few years ago, the species was thought to be lost to time. However, in December 2018, one member of the species was spotted — believed to be the only one left.

South Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher

The bird has a stunning plumage with a kaleidoscope of colours: metallic lilac, orange, and bright blue. It is endemic to the Philippines. The bird was photographed for the first time in March 2020 by the Robert S. Kennedy Conservation Society.

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