We know birds as some of the most beautiful creatures in the world, especially when it comes to the rarest birds in the world.
These beautiful birds come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. You really can’t get bored of them.
Unfortunately, things like deforestation, climate change, and human activity have pushed them to the brink of extinction.
Even so, several conservation projects are currently underway to help the most vulnerable species and bring them back to the brink of extinction.
Here is a list of the rarest birds in the world:
10 – Golden Pheasant – First on our list
You may have seen golden pheasants at zoos, but those are most likely hybrids. Real golden pheasants live in the western forests of China. Their name comes from the golden feathers on their crests, making them look gorgeous.
These colorful birds can grow up to 41 inches, and their tails make up two-thirds of their entire body length. Golden pheasants are difficult to find today and are very little known about them as you can rarely see them in their natural habitat.
9 – Spix’s Macaw – Ninth in our list of the rarest birds in the world
Made famous by the 3D animated movie “Rio,” Spix’s Macaw is a parrot bird declared extinct in the wild. Although there are several species of these birds in captive breeding programs.
Before these birds became extinct, they had lived in the forests of Bahia, Brazil. Recently, conservationists announced that they are in the process of releasing 52 Spix’s Macaws into the wild. Currently, about 180 of them are under the captive breeding program.
8- Madagascar Pochard – Eighth of the rarest birds in the world
The Madagascar Pochard is an extremely rare diving duck and has made a successful comeback in recent years, thanks to numerous successful conservation efforts. They rediscovered these birds in the wild in 2006, but they have long been considered extinct before that.
After several years of research and a successful breeding program, some young Pochards were released into the jungles of Madagascar. While this is good news, less than a dozen species of these birds live on the lake, and several others have yet to be found.
7 – Hawaiian crow – Seventh among the rarest birds in the world
Considered extinct in the wild, the Hawaiian Crow is one of the rarest birds in the world. But there are various efforts to conserve these birds. In fact, they introduced a breeding pair into the wild in 2019.
While they managed to build the nest and lay eggs successfully, they did not hatch. In addition to unsuccessful breeding in the wild, keeping these birds in captivity can be difficult as only a few are left.
6 – The Rufous-headed Hornbill – Ranked sixth on our list of rarest birds
Native to the Philippines, the Rufous-headed hornbill is now considered an endangered species. They are recognized by the bony “casque” protruding from the top of their orange-red bills. Their bills may look strong, but they are skinny structurally in reality.
These birds became extinct because of severe deforestation, hunting, and nest poaching. However, several conservation efforts are underway to save them, mainly involving keeping a close eye on their nests.
5 – Blue-eyed Ground-Dove – Halfway of the list
The blue-eyed ground-dove is another critically endangered bird that deserves to be on the list of the rarest birds in the world.
Originating in Brazil, the researchers thought these birds were extinct because they hadn’t been seen since 1941. However, they have rediscovered these birds species in 2015. So far, three distinct groups of this bird live in the wild.
4 – Imperial Amazon – Ranked 4th on our list of the rarest birds in the world
Native to the Dominican Republic, the Amazon Emperor is the country’s national bird. However, they are now considered critically endangered.
In 2019, researchers estimated only about 50 mature Imperial Amazons in the wild, a significant drop from the previous hundreds. The main reasons for their extinction are frequent storms and severe loss of natural habitat.
3 – New Caledonian Owlet-Nightjar – Down to the top three now
In this list of the rarest birds in the world, the New Caledonian Owlet-Nightjar is perhaps the most mysterious. In 1980, researchers discovered only these two species of birds in the wild. One was found trying to fly into a bedroom in a small village in New Caledonia.
By 1915, only a few of these birds had been discovered in the wild. There’s not much information about these rare birds, but researchers believe their numbers have not increased and may now be close to extinction.
2 – Antioquia Brushfinch – Second on our list of the rarest birds in the world
The Antioquia Brushfinch is another bird thought to be extinct for several years but was discovered in 2018 by a Colombian agronomist.
Since then, researchers have observed fewer than fifty species of these birds left in the wild. More research is needed to determine if these birds are critically endangered.
1 – Stresemann’s Bristlefront – Officially our top pick of the rarest birds in the world
With only one left, Stresemann’s Bristlefront is undoubtedly one of the rarest birds on Earth. Before researchers found this single bird in Brazil in 2018, they thought the species had been extinct.
Unfortunately, since much of their habitat in America’s Atlantic forests were lost, these species’ chances are slim to be saved. The Atlantic forest is now reduced to less than 8% of what it was. As a result, many species have become entirely extinct, unfortunately including Stresemann’s Bristlefront.
