Many birds are known for eye-catching plumage that makes them stand out from the flock. Birds’ coloration can often be important through the course of their lives, and may impact how they disguise themselves from predators or show off in courtship displays. However, many birds’ beaks aren’t the star of attention.
When you spot a bird with an eye-catching bill, it might be a memorable experience whether you’re a novice to birdwatching or you’re experienced with your binoculars. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of ten different birds with colorful beaks – maybe you’ll see one in your area.
1. Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco)
The toco toucan is a large species of toucan endemic to South America. They are known for their oversized beaks, which are the largest relative to body size of any bird. Despite their beaks being large, they are made of keratin and are very light.
Toucans are overall black and white, but their beaks are an eye-catching yellow and orange gradient. Toucans primarily feed on fruits, but will also consume insects, eggs, and other birds’ nestlings. Toucans’ bills also serve to help them regulate their temperature and thrive in their humid habitats.
2. Black-and-yellow Broadbill (Eurylaimus ochromalus)
The black-and-yellow broadbill is a member of the broadbill family found dwelling in forest habitat throughout Southeast Asia. These unique birds are mainly insectivorous, but also feed on mollusks and fruit. Their eye-catching blue bills are brightly colored and help easily identify this species.
Their tongues manipulate soft foods within the beak to smash items & break them down to ‘chew’. This bird was listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, primarily due to habitat loss in their native range.
3. Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)
The Atlantic puffin is a charming seabird often mistaken for a type of penguin, though they’re actually a member of the auk family. While they are most common in the Westman Islands of Iceland, they’re found on coastlines throughout the Atlantic Ocean. Their powerful wings help them to dive underwater to feed on zooplankton, small fish, and crabs.
Both sexes have brightly colored orange and black beaks during the breeding season, which help human observers differentiate them from other puffins. They nest in cliffside colonies, which are often noisy and gregarious – although these puffins only lay one egg instead of a clutch.
4. Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
The ruddy duck occupies marshy habitats in North and South America, as well as the British Isles, France, and Spain. While they’re not native, they’ve been introduced to the United Kingdom and have established a thriving population there.
They are named for the male’s ‘ruddy’ chestnut color, but they’re also eye-catching during breeding season with a showy bright blue bill. Their stout bill and overall build makes them skilled at underwater foraging for roots and crustaceans.
5. Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)
Another member of the toucan & toucanet family with a brightly colored bill, the keel-billed toucan is found from southern Mexico to Ecuador; they’re also the national bird of Belize. Their beak is green overall, with an orange stripe, a blue portion on the lower mandible, and a red tip.
They roost in holes in trees, often with multiple toucans sharing one space; keel-billed toucans are very social and are seldom seen alone. For this reason, they often are difficult to keep and do poorly in captivity. Their huge bills come in handy for more than harvesting the fruit they eat – the toucans also ‘play ball’ by throwing fruit to one another to catch.
6. Rufous Hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax)
The rufous hornbill is a large hornbill species native to the Philippines; they are the largest hornbill found there. Locals refer to these birds as the “clock of the mountains”, as they make a large booming call approximately once an hour. This species has a noticeable brightly colored bill, with a large knob on the top half that earns them their ‘hornbill’ moniker; the nominate species’ bill is wholly red, while two of the rufous hornbill’s subspecies feature yellow on the bill as well.
This species exhibits a unique behavior during nesting season; females stay within the nest cavity for 4-6 months while the young grow, and are fed by the male through an opening in the cavity. These birds are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN; poaching, capture for the pet trade, and habitat loss have all contributed to this majestic species’ decline.
7. Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)
The black oystercatcher is a large shorebird found along the coastline of western North America. As their name suggests, their plumage is black overall; however, their eye-catching solid orange-red beak makes them easy to spot. They are considered a keystone indicator species, and are of high concern to conservationists protecting the health of coastline ecosystems. They primarily feed on mollusks, but crabs, isopods and barnacles are also a part of their diet. Their strong bill assists them in prying open the shells of the mollusks they feed on.
8. Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)
The painted stork is a large wading bird found throughout tropical & southeast Asia. Their large beaks assist them in successfully feeding on small fish – they immerse their beaks in water while half-open and sweep them side to side, snapping them closed when a fish passes through.
This bird’s plumage is overall white and black, but their bare face & beak are eye-catching orange and yellow. They are not migratory and rarely make long flights. They are a social species that often nests in large flocks that can number in the thousands, and they don’t mind intermingling with other wading birds.
9. Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica)
The purple gallinule is a colorful swamphen ranging from southern North America throughout the majority of South America. The sexes look similar, with both males and females featuring blue and purple plumage that has an iridescent shine, and a red bill tipped with yellow. These birds have oversized, long toes that allow them to gracefully walk on floating vegetation.
They are omnivorous feeders, and their diet includes plants, insects, frogs, and fish. These birds make a floating nest for their young out of dense vegetation that holds five to ten eggs per clutch. Purple gallinules form monogamous pairs, and they will work together to defend the nest & care for their young.
10. Papuan Eclectus (Eclectus polychloros)
The Papuan eclectus, also known simply as the eclectus parrot, is a medium-sized parrot species endemic to New Guinea. Unique among birds, the species is known for the female having more eye-catching plumage than the male; the female is bright red and blue, while the male is green. However, the male sports a bright orange beak tipped in yellow, while the female’s beak is solid black.
These parrots are also popular in the pet trade, and can live for up to 50 years in captivity; while some individuals show no interest in mimicry, they can become skilled at repeating human words and phrases. In the wild, they nest in hollow tree cavities, typically only laying two eggs per clutch.
Conclusion
There’s a variety of birds exhibiting beautiful beaks, and there are many reasons why beak color may aid them – to attract mates, to ward off predators, and more. For some birds, we aren’t yet sure how having a colorful beak aids them – hopefully, with continuing research and interest in avian species that aren’t well documented, we’ll learn more about the intricate lives of these creatures. If you don’t think you have birds in your area with colorful beaks, take a closer look; you may be surprised at the biodiversity around you.
