16 Birds You Won't Believe Actually Exist

R u ok birds.

By
Kelly Oakes
by Kelly Oakes

BuzzFeed Staff, UK

1. This bird that wants you to think it's a cartoon character.

BBC / youtube.com

The superb bird-of-paradise has possibly the most surreal mating display you'll ever see. They perform their dance in a small territory that they defend when other males come along.

2. This taxidermy project gone wrong.

Doug Janson / Creative Commons / Via en.wikipedia.org

The helmeted hornbill is a large bird with a call that sounds like "maniacal laughter".

3. This bird who is definitely not a puppet.

Rob Moyle / Via amnh.org

The moustached kingfisher is an elusive forest-dweller – this photo, released last week, is one of the first ever taken of it.

4. This bird who doesn't know why you keep laughing at his face.

commons.wikimedia.org

The Sri Lanka frogmouth is nocturnal and lives in south India and (surprise!) Sri Lanka.

5. This extremely ~fancy~ bird of paradise.

Serhanoksay / en.wikipedia.org

The Wilson's bird-of-paradise is native to the Papuan islands of Waigeo and Batanta in Indonesia.

6. And this one.

headlikeanorange.tumblr.com

The lesser bird-of-paradise is native to Papau New Guinea.

7. This bird that got into a fight with some stage make-up and lost.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_vulture#/media/File:Sarcorhanphus_papa.jpg
Olaf Oliviero Riemer / Creative Commons

The king vulture can have a wingspan of nearly 6 feet and feeds on carrion.

8. This bird... sorry I mean butterfly. Totally a butterfly.

giphy.com

The blue bird-of-paradise flips itself upside down and fans its plumage in its mating display.

9. This master of darkness.

fat-birds.com
Fatal eyes / CC

The Victoria's riflebird's party trick is to shape shift by spreading its wings out like this.

10. This bird with the best damn eyebrow you will ever see.

en.wikipedia.org

This bird's actual name is Guianan cock-of-the-rock, just fyi.

11. And this bird who is totally jealous.

chdwckvnstrsslhm / Creative Commons / Via commons.wikimedia.org

This bird's actual name is Andean cock-of-the-rock.

12. This bird who just can't control his feet.

youtube.com

The Magnificent riflebird is a bird of paradise. That brillant blue bit is a patch on its throat.

13. This bird you absolutely do not want to cross.

imgur.com

The shoebill's latin name is Balaeniceps rex, and they can reach a height over 4 feet.

pelican / Creative Commons / commons.wikimedia.org

(Just in case you need a still photo to be truly terrified of this bird.)

14. This bird that looks like it might topple over at any moment.

Flickr: egropp / Creative Commons

The lettered aracari is a small species of toucan (in case you couldn't tell).

15. This psychedelic seagull.

Gregg Yan / Creative Commons / Via en.wikipedia.org

Known as the red-footed booby, for obvious reasons.

16. This bird who is definitely not on drugs.

Fabiomaffei / Getty Images

The common potoo is nocturnal and is found in Central and South America.

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