Some animals are so unusual-looking that it’s almost impossible to believe that they’re real, looking like something that might belong in the Pokemon universe rather than in nature itself.
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And, of all the animals on the plant, it’s birds that are arguably the most remarkable of all.
Here, you’ll find a list of 30 birds with hair you need to see to believe.
Whether you’re on the hunt for the most incredible-looking creatures Mother Nature has to offer, or looking for inspiration for your next trip to the salon, you’ll be amazed by what you find here!
Polish Chicken
With a look of Tina Turner at the height of her fame, the Polish Chicken sports a funky, 80s-style hairdo.
This impressive plumage is so long, in fact, that it can sometimes make it difficult for this bird to see where it’s going!
There are three varieties of Polish Chicken; frizzle, bearded, and non-bearded.
Regardless of variety, they all have the same funky-feathers on top of their head. They are also often kept as pets as they are good egg layers, and some people keep them as show chickens as well.
White-Crested Helmetshrike
There are two standout features on the White-Crested Helmetshrike.
The first is its bright-yellow eye wattle that looks as though someone has placed a tiny flower over its eye.
The other is its impressive crest that runs straight from the back of its head to the base of its beak.
Native to Africa, the White-Crested Helmetshrike lives and feeds in groups, scouring their woodland habitat in search of insects to feast on.
Tufted Puffin
The Tufted Puffin is a majestic-looking seabird that has a slicked-back white crest on the top of its head.
It also has black feathers across its entire body, white markings across each eye, and a bright orange beak.
Native to the Northwestern States and Alaska, the Tufted Puffin lives and nests in huge groups.
In some coastal areas, these groups can be as large as 3 million birds strong.
Silver Pheasant
Native to the forest of China and SouthEast Asia, the Silver Pheasant has white feathers that run from the back of its head all the way to its tail.
This gives it the appearance of having long, flowing locks. These feathers are also silver-like when the sun hits them, giving this bird its name.
The rest of the Silver Pheasant’s body is covered with jet-black feathers, and a scarlet-red patch surrounds each eye.
Dalmatian Pelican
Another bird with shaggy hair, the Dalmatian Pelican is a large seabird that can stand as tall as 6 ft high and has an average wingspan of 11 ft.
Each shaggy feather is pure-white, and the only color on its body is a pale yellow patch on its chest and its orange bill.
Found throughout Eurasia, the Dalmatian Pelican lives in freshwater rivers and lakes where it feeds on fish, frogs, and other aquatic animals.
Crested Duck
The bouffant-like hair that sits atop the Crested Duck’s head isn’t dissimilar to a wig you’d see in a period drama!
Covered with bright white feathers and sporting an orange bill, this beautiful waterbird is native to the East Indies and Europe.
Not all Crested Ducks live up to their namesake, though. Their crest is actually the result of a genetic mutation, meaning that some chicks are born with it while others aren’t.
Golden Pheasant
Native to China, the Golden Pheasant is one of the most colorful birds in the world. It has a bright yellow crest across the top of its head, which blends into orange and black feathers along its wings and upperparts.
It also has a few bright blue feathers at the base of its cape, while its underside is covered with bright red plumage.
Their preferred habitat is mixed woodland; despite their colorful appearance, they can be quite difficult to spot.
Nicobar Pigeon
This fancy-looking Pigeon is native to Indian islands and is actually closely related to the now-extinct Dodo.
The Nicobar Pigeon is covered with long, brightly colored feathers that go from pale blue, through to electric blue and neon green. It also sports a long, gray crest and bib.
Western-Crowned Pigeon
One of the largest Pigeon species in the world, the Western-Crowned Pigeon has a remarkable crest on the top of its head that is almost leaf-like in appearance.
It isn’t leaf-colored, however, and is a pale gray color instead.
The rest of the Western-Crowned Pigeon’s feathers are a darker gray color, with the only exception being dark-brown shoulders marked with white.
Sadly, the Western-Crowned Pigeon is considered a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and hunting for its incredible plumage.
Sulphur-Crested co*ckatoo
The Sulphur-Crested co*ckatoo’s pale yellow mohawk makes it instantly recognizable.
It also sports pure-white feathers across the rest of its body, along with a pale yellow patch on its tail and wings that perfectly match its crest.
Super intelligent birds, the Sulphur-Crested co*ckatoo is native to New Guinea and Australia.
It’s often also kept as a pet all over the world but, in its natural habitat, it is often considered a pest due to destruction it can cause to timber buildings and crops.
Red-Crested Turaco
The old phrase “red and green should never be seen” can be thrown straight in the trash, and the Red-Crested Turaco is here to prove it!
This colorful little bird sports vivid-green feathers across its body along with a bright red crest that is tipped with white.
Its crest is also relatively large in comparison to the rest of its body, standing at around 2-inches tall.
The Red-Crested Turaco is native to Africa and lives in flocks of up to 30 birds strong.
Mandarin Duck
One of the most remarkable things about the Mandarin Duck is that its colors actually change depending on the season.
Throughout spring and summer, it sports a variety of colorful feathers including blue, red, green, and orange. Once the breeding season is finished, these colors fade and turn brown.
During the winter, it’s really difficult to tell the two sexes apart.
Although native to East Asia, the Mandarin Duck has also been introduced to the United States and the United Kingdom.
Regardless of its location, its habitat remains the same; dense woodland near shallow lakes.
Philippine Eagle
One of the largest species of Eagle in the world, the Philippine Eagle stands at an average height of 3 ft tall. It also sports an incredible hairstyle of spiky, brown feathers that frame its entire face.
This magnificent bird of prey can only be found on four Philippine islands and, sadly, it is considered an endangered species.
It feeds on lemurs, monkeys, rats, snakes, flying foxes, and lizards.
Victoria-Crowned Pigeon
There’s no way we could leave the Victoria-Crowned Pigeon off our list with the elegant-looking feathers that sit atop its head.
It also has beautifully-colored feathers in shades of blue and purple across the rest of its body, and purple spotted legs.
Named after Queen Victoria, this pigeon is native to New Guinea where it lives in woodlands and feeds on seed, nuts, fruit, and insects.
Royal Flycatcher
Keeping things royal, the Royal Flycatcher is mostly covered with brown feathers. Why then, you might ask, is it on this list of birds with fabulous feathers? Well, this little bird is hiding a secret!
During the breeding season, the Royal Flycatcher unfurls its magnificent crest that spreads horizontally across its head in a fan shape.
This crest is bright red and tipped with black, and is used to attract a mate.
Red-Whiskered Bulbul
Originally from India, the Red-Whiskered Bulbul can now be found throughout the United States following an escape from an aviary in Miami!
Named for the red patches on either side of its face, the Red-Whiskered Bulbul is predominantly black and white, and sports a tall, spiky black mohawk.
This bird lives and travels in flocks, searching for insects and fruits to feed on.
Curl-Crested Aracari
The Curl-Crested Aracari is a remarkable-looking bird and is a member of the Toucan family.
It has blue-gray wings, a red patch on its back, a pale-yellow breast, and short, spiky black and white feathers on the top of its head.
It also has a huge beak compared to the rest of its size, a characteristic of all Toucans.
Native to The Amazon, the Curl-Crested Aracari mainly feeds on fruit, although it has been known to snatch the young of other birds from the nest and feed on them.
Eurasian Hoopoe
Found throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia, the Eurasian Hoopoe’s most identifiable feature is its tall, orange crest that is tipped with black.
It also has black and white wings, pale gray underparts, and a pale orange head.
The Eurasian Hoopoe has also evolved incredibly strong muscles that allow them to sink their beak deep into the soil and open it in search of insects to feed on.
Great-Crested Grebe
The Great-Crested Grebe is another waterbird that changes color with the season.
Throughout spring and summer, the male sports copper-orange markings that contrast beautifully with their black and white markings across their mane-like heads.
Once winter rolls round, this color fades and they go back to being exclusively black and white.
The reason for this color change is to help attract a mate. This isn’t all the Great-Crested Grebe depends on, though. It also puts on an elaborate display, rising in and out of the water and shaking its head.
Red-Legged Seriema
Unlike a lot of birds, the Red-Legged Seriema’s crest doesn’t sit on top of its head. Instead, it rises gloriously from the top of its bright-orange beak
These crest feathers are tipped with black, while the rest of its body is covered with fine-looking brown and white feathers.
One remarkable fact about the Red-Legged Seriema is that it is often kept as a guard animal! South African farmers will bring them in to defend and protect their poultry livestock as they will make a loud call and attack any predators with the sharp claws.
Gray-Crowned Crane
Standing an average of 3 ft tall, the Gray-Crowned is one of the larger birds on our list. It also has a crest of stiff, hair-like feathers that rise up high and frame its black, white, and red face.
The rest of the Gray-Crowned Crane’s body is covered with long, pale-gray feathers that also have a hair-like appearance, cascading over them.
Great Curassow
Native to Central America and Mexico, the Great Curassow has jet black feathers all over its body and a tall, matching crest that sits proudly on the top of its head. The only flash of color on this bird’s body is its sharp, pointed yellow beak.
The Great Curassow lives in groups of up to 10 birds strong, and they aren’t scared to defend themselves and their territory.
There have even been reports of this bird displaying aggressive behavior towards humans when feeling threatened.
Guinanan co*ck-of-the-Rock
This remarkable-looking little bird is native to South America and sets up its home in rocky areas, where it forages for insects and seeds.
The Guinanan co*ck-of-the-Rock has a jet black body from the shoulders down, while the rest of its body is bright-orange.
It also has a fluffy-looking bright orange crest that is so large it almost entirely covers its bill.
Emu
Native to Australia, the Emu is one of the largest birds in the world. Due to its size, it cannot fly but can run at incredible speeds of up to 50 km/h.
It’s hard to miss an Emu in the wild, but they can be identified by their long legs, black shaggy feathers, and black tuft that sits on the top of their head.
They also have a wide, blue-black beak and bright orange eyes.
Crested Partridge
The Crested Partridge has a couple of features that make it one of the most interesting birds in the world.
First of all, it has a tall, bright red crest on the top of its head. This contrasts magnificently with the rest of its body, which is covered with dark blue feathers.
Its second remarkable feature is the bare-skinned red patches that frame each of its eyes.
The Crested Partridge is native to SouthEast Asia and spends its days pecking around in leaf litter in search of insects to feed on.
Demoiselle Crane
One of the smallest species of Crane in the world, the Demoiselle Crane is most easily identified by its long, white head feathers that start from the eye and cascade down the neck.
It also has a mixture of light and dark gray feathers all over the rest of its body.
During their migration, the Demoiselle Crane flies over the Himalayas (the world’s highest mountain range) and, once they have reached their breeding grounds, the male puts on a dancing display in order to attract a mate.
Great Blue Turaco
Native to Africa and The Congo, the Great Blue Turaco is the largest of all Turaco species. It stands at an average height of 30-inches, and is covered with blue-gray feathers.
It also sports a tall, jet-black crest and a bright-yellow beak tipped with orange.
Marabou Stork
It’s fair to say that the Marabou Stork isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but it still stands out as one of the birds with hair that you need to see to believe.
This is because it has a mass of frizzy hair-like feathers across its neck and head, which sit against a totally bald face.
The Marabou Stork is also one of the largest and fiercest species of Stork, and are renowned for their bad tempers.
They are known to feed on carrion and will also snatch Flamingo chicks from their nest, giving them the nickname “The Undertaker”.
Smew
The Smew is an elegant-looking bird that is covered with white feathers, sectioned off by black markings.
They also have a pure-white, slick-backed crest that is flanked on either side with black.
Native to Europe, the Smew is a waterbird that feeds exclusively on fish, frogs, crustaceans, and any other aquatic creatures it can find.
Wood Duck
The final entry on our list is one of the most colorful water birds out there.
The male Wood Duck sports a vivid green crest flanked with white markings which falls backwards in a slicked-back style. It also has gray underparts, black wings, and a brown breast dotted with white.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, this planet is home to some of the most incredible-looking birds you’ll ever find.
Next time you’re out on a hike or visiting another country and spot a magnificently-haired bird, be sure to open this list to find out what you’ve just seen!
