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[Pete Richards]

1. The Rainbow Lorikeet



The Rainbow Lorikeet, (Trichoglossus haematodus) is a species of Australasian parrot found in Australia, eastern Indonesia (Maluku and Western New Guinea), Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In Australia, it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. Several taxa traditionally listed as subspecies of the Rainbow Lorikeet are increasingly treated as separate species. There is little to visually distinguish between the sexes, however to a keen observer of their coloring and behavior, their dimorphism is readily apparent.

[Pete Richards]

2. The Golden Pheasant



A truly magnificent sight, the Golden or Chinese Pheasant is another type of bird that catches the eye with a wonderful display of color. These are gamebirds, native to western China, although they have been bred in other countries like the UK, and are unmistakably lovely with a golden crest, rump and bright red body. When showing off to attract a mate, the male spreads his deep orange 'cape,' which looks just like a black and orange fan covering everything except the bright yellow eye. It is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China, but feral populations have been established in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

[Pete Richards]

3. The Quetzal



The resplendent quetzal is an aptly named bird that many consider among the world's most beautiful. These vibrantly colored animals live in the mountainous, tropical forests of Central America where they eat fruit, insects, lizards, and other small creatures. Unfortunately, these striking birds are threatened in Guatemala and elsewhere.

[Pete Richards]

4. The Hoopoe



The Hoopoe, a colorful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, is notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes elevated to a full species. Like the Latin name upupa, the English name is an onomatopoetic form which imitates the cry of the bird.

[Pete Richards]

5. The Bali Bird of Paradise



The Birds of Paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea and its satellites, with a few species occurring in the Moluccas and eastern Australia. It's likely that you will only see them on film, though, because they mostly live in inaccessible, dense rainforest habitats.

[Pete Richards]

6. The Atlantic Puffin



The Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly colored bill. Also known as the Common Puffin, it is the only puffin species which is found in the Atlantic Ocean. The curious appearance of the bird, with its large colorful bill and its striking piebald plumage, has given rise to nicknames such as '"clown of the ocean" and "sea rooster." The Atlantic Puffin is the provincial bird for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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