In the animal world, most bird species are visually appealing, even very beautiful. However, there are still a few bird species that are listed as having an ugly or even scary appearance. In this article, we will reveal to you the top ugliest bird species in the world. Please join us to find out.
The ugliest bird species video
Please refer to the list below for the top ugliest bird species in the world:
1. Certain Parrots
Parrots are often eye-catching and visually appealing, with many of them being very beautiful due to their bright and colorful feathers. However, the Certain Parrot species is different, as they look ugly even when they are still young. The face of this parrot species looks like it’s covered with boiled egg yolk and their eyes are swollen, dark, and squinted as if they have just gone through a long match with the world heavyweight champion. There was a case where a hatchling of this species was born in a zoo in Germany, and its mother rejected it because its appearance was too ugly.
2. Kiwi Bird
This bird is the national symbol of New Zealand, doesn’t look like any other bird. It can’t fly and its body, about the size of a chicken, is covered in shaggy brown feathers. It’s nocturnal and rests in burrows during the day. It has small eyes that don’t see well, but compensates for this with a keen sense of smell. This is supported by a very long beak with nostrils at the end of the beak. Kiwis use their beaks to probe and search for worms and other invertebrates in the ground. Additionally, they also eat berries and seeds. Females lay a single egg that weighs about one-fifth of their body weight. After that, the female bird thinks her job is done and the male of most kiwi species will incubate the egg and raise the chick.
3. Southern Screamer
The body of the Southern Screamer resembles that of a goose, but its head and beak are disproportionately small. Its feet are very large, and its long toes allow it to walk around marshes. Its wings have spurs on the front edge, which allows them to be used in combat against other predators.
The Southern Screamer is named as such because it screams both on land and in flight. Due to this and its diverse and easily attainable diet, consisting of leaves, shoots, seeds, and other plant material. Sometimes it is tamed and used as a “guard bird” to protect human homes.
4. Muscovy Duck
Even Linnaeus, the famous taxonomist, had to criticize the appearance of this duck breed. Although Muscovy ducks are highly regarded as a large, relatively quiet, easy-to-raise bird with meat that tastes more like beef than poultry. The faces of Muscovy ducks have red fleshy bumps that make them look gruesome. Male ducks use their wattles to impress females, and although their faces are unattractive, they have fairly beautiful feathers. If their faces were easier on the eyes, they might have been classified among the most beautiful bird species in the world.
The Muscovy Duck has a peculiar appearance and has been shunned by many native South Americans for many years. However, over time, this bird has become increasingly popular among Americans, New Zealanders, and Australians.
5. Shoebill
The Shoebill is an ugly-looking bird, mainly due to its large and hooked bill that resembles a Dutch wooden clog. However, this bill is precisely what helps the bird hunt its prey, which includes fish, frogs, lizards, turtles, snails, rodents, and smaller birds.
They are found around freshwater swamps in East and Central Africa. Despite their large size, they are not very heavy and have spread-out toes that allow them to walk on submerged trees. Their eyes are small, cold, and yellow, and their calls sound like machine gun fire. Surprisingly, despite its appearance, the Shoebill can be tamed and friendly towards humans.
6. Great Potoo
The Great Potoo’s huge black eyes and large head make it look intimidating to stare at. This nocturnal bird with gray feathers comes from the southern and central regions of Central America and the Caribbean. It would completely be overlooked from the list of ugly animals if it weren’t for two things: its eyes and its mouth. Its disproportionately large eyes on its large head look terrifying from a distance. Another thing that makes this species recognized as scary is its call, described as a hair-raising blend of moaning and growling throughout the night in the wet forests where it lives.
7. Vultures
As for vultures, with their bald heads, hooked beaks, and round eyes, they are certainly not among the most attractive birds, in fact, they are quite ugly. Most vulture species have bald heads and necks to make scavenging on decaying carcasses less messy. They steal ostrich chicks and eggs.
Vulture has a tuft of feathers on its head, and its bare face and neck make it even uglier than other members of its species. This long-faced vulture, native to Africa, is also a particularly creepy bird, with eyes like beads. Its name is derived from the loose folds of bare skin on its neck.
Vultures have large, powerful feet for grasping their gruesome food, and sharp talons for tearing apart decaying flesh. Some species of vultures defecate on their legs to cool down and regurgitate when they feel threatened. To many people, this animal is truly ugly.
8. Hornbills
Most species of hornbills are so ugly that their bright colors and interesting patterns on their bills and feathers don’t help much. They are found in Asia, Africa, and Melanesia. Large hornbills have such heavy bills that the first and second cervical vertebrae fuse together to help support the weight of the bill.
9. Hoatzin
The Hoatzin is a prehistoric-looking bird that is not only ugly but also stinky, earning it the nickname of the stinkbird and the skunkbird. It was found in wetland forests or riverine habitats in northern South America, this bird has a sturdy body and a small head with a pointed crest, a plain face, and hazel-colored eyes.
Hoatzins are herbivores, and they ferment their food during their breeding season, much like cows do in their rumen. The stinky odor comes from the fermenting food in their digestive system. Another strange thing about this creature is that a Hoatzin chick is born with hooks on its wings to help it climb until it becomes an adult.
10. Marabou Stork
The Marabou Stork is so gruesome-looking that it resembles an extraterrestrial creature. It is known as the “undertaker bird” because when viewed from behind, its hunched black body and bald head give the impression of a funeral director. From the front, this 5-foot-tall bird carries a massive bill, which is only used to tear apart a carcass. Its bald head allows it to delve into the meat without any threat of its feathers becoming soiled.
The stork also has a droopy, oval-shaped pouch hanging from its neck. To dissipate heat, it excretes from its gut to its feet, which is why its legs are often white. These birds are commonly seen congregating around dead animals.
These are the top ten most grotesque birds on the planet. Hopefully, this information has provided you with some knowledge about birds in general. Follow us to discover more interesting things in life.