These South African birds are named for their almost all black coloring and, of course, their extremely long tail. The tail of the males can be over 16 inches long, which is more than twice their body length.
2. Splendid Fairywren
The males are fully blue when breeding, but otherwise look more similar to the females. They turn pale brown on top and white underneath, although retain the blue on wings and tail.
3. Royal Flycatcher
There are 4 species of royal flycatchers all with the “royal crown” which is generally only on display during courtship rituals and competitions with other males. Usually the crest is lying flat but opens up like a fan.
4. King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise
The ornamental head plumes on the males are so bizarre that when the first specimen was brought to Europe, people thought it was fake.
5. Resplendent Quetzal
Many people believe these are the most beautiful birds in the world. They are the national bird of Guatemala, and name to the Guatemalan currency.
6. Lilac-Breasted Roller
This bird (and the other species of rollers) get their name from their impressive courtship flight, a fast, shallow dive from considerable elevation with a rolling or fast rocking motion, accompanied by loud raucous calls.
7. Inca Tern
These awesome seabirds with mustaches nest in rocky hollows or burrows along the coasts of Peru and Chile.
8. Curl-Crested Aracari
This bird is a member of the toucan family and gets it’s name from the feathers on it’s head that are curled up like ribbons on a gift.
9. Red-Necked Tanager
There are 3 sub-species of this bird which differ primarily in the extent of the throat patch and in the coloration of the head. They are residents of the lowland tropical forests of eastern South America
10. Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise
Another crazy bird-of-paradise that is easy to recognize with it’s curly tail feathers and unique coloring. The turquoise crown of the male is actually a patch of bare skin, not feathers.
11. Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock
Their almost perfect semi-circle crest is formed by two rows of feathers, flattened against each other. Unlike other birds, their crest is always on display
12. Purple-Crowned Fairywren
Their song is quite different from other fairywrens because it is of lower frequency, quite loud, and usually sung as a duet
13. Livingstone's Turaco
Turacos make up the bird family Musophagidae (literally "banana-eaters"). Despite the name, they generally do not eat bananas.