[ ::: ♥Keep_Mailing♥ ::: ]™ Most Bright & Beautiful Birds in the World

There are estimated to be 10,000 species of birds in the world and nature has blessed some with the most incredible, colorful plumage. From bright blues to radiant reds and gorgeous greens, it is hard to believe that these birds are real and not the invention of a fine painter. So enjoy our photos of the most beautiful birds in the world and don't forget to leave us a comment telling us which is your favorite.

1. Red-necked Tanagers are found in the lowland Rainforests of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and display an incredible array of colors.

2. The Spangled Cotinga's unique plumage has made it a target for hunters in the Amazon Rainforest. They do not sing but are known to make a whistling noise from their wings when they fly.

3. The Mandarin Duck is immediately recognizable for its incredible combination of dazzling colors.  Only the males display the colorful feathers, the females are predominantly brown with a white eye ring.

4. The Toucan is unmistakable with its large, curved bill.  There are over 40 species and most of them are brightly colored.  They largely eat fruit but will eat some small lizards and insects as well.

5. The Blue-crowned Pigeon is not your average pigeon.  They can grow to the size of a turkey and boast spectacular blue feathers.

6. The Lady Gouldian Finch is a spectacular sight with its colorful blocks of stripes.  It is also known as the 'Rainbow Finch' and lives in the North-West of Australia.  They are subject to a conservation project as only 2500 are believe to exist in the wild.

7. The Kingfisher is a familiar sight to many of us and a hugely popular subject for photographers. They have a cosmopolitan distribution and can be found throughout most of the world.

8. The Red-bearded Bee Eater is, all species of Bee Eater, a spectacularly colored bird. Despite the name, they are not completely fussy about their diet and will eat wasps, hornets and other large insects as well.

9. The Paradise Tanager is a multi-colored songbird indigenous to the Amazon Basin.  They tend to reside in groups, with flocks of up to 20 moving together to feed.

10. The Lilac-breasted Roller is one of the most beautiful birds in the world. They inhabit open woodland or scrubland across Sub-Saharan Africa and are the designated national bird of both Kenya and Botswana.

11. The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock not only has a brilliant, rhyming name, but it also boasts spectacular orange plumage framing bizarre beady eyes.  Only the males have the bright feathers and distinctive head crest.

12. The Scarlet Macaw is a famous member of the parrot family, known for both its spectacular, predominantly red and blue plumage and familiar loud squawk.

13. The Purple Gallinule is found in marshes and swamps of the Southern Eastern States in the US.   Displaying an iridescent indigo and violet feathering, they are omnivores and feed on a wide variety of plants, insects and fish.

14. The Splendid Fairy Wren is a brilliant blue bird found across much of the Australasian continent. The males are electric blue and pluck petals to display to brown females as part of their mating ritual.

15. The Splendid Astrapia has dazzling green, orange and yellow feathers, which provide a beautiful contrast against the rest of its black body. They are found only in the mountains of Western Guinea.

16. Yellow-collared Lovebirds are predominantly green and yellow.  They are small for a member of the parrot family, standing only 14.5cm tall when fully grown.

17. The Violet-crowned Woodnymph is undeniably cute - not only for its shimmering purple and green colors, which almost look metallic, but also for its tiny size - they are just 10cm long when fully grown.

18. The Northern Cardinal is a beautiful, red bird found in Canada, Mexico and the USA.  It has a distinctive, red crest that resembles a Mohican and is found in woodlands and swamps.

19. The Curl-crested Aracari is a member of the Toucan family and gets its name from the distinctive feathers on its head, which look a lot curled up ribbons.

20. The Turquoise-browned Motmot has incredible, pastel-colored plumage and a distinctive dart-shaped tail.  They are found in Central America and are the national bird of El Salvador and Nicaragua.