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LiveScience
LiveScience
Sascha Pare

32 of the most colorful birds on Earth

A black-backed dwarf kingfisher sitting on a branch.

Nature produces some truly extravagant costumes, and birds have evolved more than their fair share of dazzling outfits. Often, it's the male birds that steal the show with bold colors and unfurling feathers, which they need to impress choosy females. But sometimes, both males and females are dressed to impress.

You're probably familiar with the peacock, or peafowl, and its ornamental eyespots. But there are plenty of other birds with similarly over-the-top displays, including Wilson's bird of paradise, which unfurls an iridescent-green cape around its neck to woo the ladies, and the resplendent quetzal, which plunges toward potential mates while trailing its metallic-blue feathers. 

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