10 Birds with Unusual Head crowns
Birds are beautiful feathered winged animals. They are colourful, unique and unbelievable spectacular species on the earth. Some birds are unusually different, they have a group or tuft of feathers on top of their head called the crest or crown. The appearance of a bird's head varies in different birds. The crests are used for displaying purposes, also for communication and courtship. Birds display their crests when they are frightened or when they are about to fight.
Exotic birds showcase spectacular body designs and display amazing colours. Here is a list of some birds with unusual head crowns.
1. Golden pheasant
The Golden pheasant or the Chinese pheasant is a brilliantly coloured bird. They are game birds found in the mountain forests of western China, Western Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. These birds live for about 5 years and some are known to live for more than 20 years. The bird has a striking golden crest and rump and a bright red body. Males have a golden crest with a hint of red at the tip. The food of the Golden pheasant consists of grains, leaves and invertebrates. Their short flights are clumsy, they prefer to spend time on the ground.
2. Peacock
Peacock is native to the Indian sub-continent. It is the national bird of India. Peacock is a beautiful brightly coloured male bird. They are larger sized birds known for their iridescent blue and green long tail of feathers. The peacock train consists of tail converts. The tail feathers end with colourful, beautiful eyespots of vibrant hues Peacock is a beautiful brightly coloured bird. with a blue fan-like crest of spatula tipped feathers on its head. These birds are ground feeders that eat small insects, plants and grains.
3. Victoria crowned pigeon
These are the largest pigeons in the world. These pigeons are found in lush rainforests that are rich in fruit-bearing trees in the tropics of New Guinea. They have a spectacular crown of feathers that makes them strikingly beautiful birds. The bird is large bluish-grey with red irises. The chest is deep purple-maroon colour. The pigeon has blue lace-like crests with white tips on its head. It produces deep whooping sounds when it's calling. The bird makes a loud clapping sound when it makes its flight.
Victoria-crowned pigeon
4. Hoopoe
Hoopoes are colourful exotic birds with their distinctive crown of feathers on the top of its head. The bird is medium-sized and these birds are found in Asia, Africa and Europe. The bird has striking black and white wings, zebra-striped with a pinkish-brown body. When the bird is excited it raises its crest. They sunbathe by spreading out their wings and happily take sandbaths. The bird feeds on insects, invertebrates and spiders with its long downcurved bill. Hoopoes have strong head muscles and they are cavity nesters living in tree holes and stone walls. They are migratory birds, they are seen at high altitudes during migration.
Hoopoe
5. Grey-crowned Crane
The grey-crowned crane is found in eastern and southern Africa. It is the national bird of Uganda. The bird's plumage is grey in colour. The wings are white with feathers of different colours. The crest is made up of stiff golden feathers, and the bill is short and grey. The birds have long legs for walking through grasses. The birds feed on plants, seeds, insects, worms, frogs, fish, snakes and aquatic animal eggs. During day time spend time searching for food and at night they take a rest on trees.
6. Secretary Bird
The Secretary bird is a large terrestrial bird of prey. They are found in Africa in the grasslands and savanna regions. These birds have long legs and long dark quills on the back of their head. They are tall birds and wade through grasses looking for food. They search for food throughout the day and rest under trees during hot times of the day. The birds consume small mammals, reptiles, birds and large insects. Secretary birds are known for their ability to kill all types of snakes. They raise their feathered crown when they are attacking prey.
7. Cassowary
The cassowary is a flightless bird without a keel or its backbone. The bird is native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and Indonesia and northeastern Australia. Cassowaries have small wings and are three-toed feet with sharp claws. Their main diet includes fruits, plant shoots, grass, seeds fungi, invertebrates and small vertebrates. The cassowary is the most dangerous bird it can inflict fatal injuries to people. These birds have skin covered casque o their heads. The shape and size of the casque vary with species and it grows with age. The casque consists of fine fibres inside, which perform the acoustic function or sound reception.
8. Umbrella Cockatoos
Umbrella Cockatoos are one of the most affectionate birds. They are also known as white cockatoos and are native to Indonesia living in tropical rainforests. They have a white crest that raises like an umbrella when the bird gets excited or angry. These cockatoos are fun-loving and intelligent birds and seek a lot of attention. The birds can live up to 70 years if properly taken care of with attention.
9. Helmet hornbill
The helmet hornbill is a very large bird. The bird's plumage is blackish and the tail is long. They are found in Malay, Sumatra, Thailand and Myanmar. The casque or the helmet-like structure almost weighs about 3 kg, its solid structure. The birds use their casque during head-to-head combat among males and also to dig into rotten wood and loose bark for insects. the casque is a source of hornbill ivory. They are used for making headdresses and dancing cloaks by indigenous people. They eat fruits of strangler figs. Helmet hornbills breed once a year and lay a single egg.
10. Nicobar Pigeon
Nicobar Pigeon is found on the island and coastal regions of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Malay, Archipelago. to the Solomons and Palau. These birds feed on grains, seeds, berries and insects. The Nicobar pigeon is a large bird, the head is grey. The tail is short and pure white, and the plumage is metallic green. The bird has a distinct and vibrant collection of hackles which are long and narrow feathers extending from their neck.
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