Most Colorful Birds in the World

A tour of the brightest plumage on Earth, one species per photo, from cloud forests in Central America to the islands off New Guinea. Each bird earned its place by color you can see from across a clearing: iridescent greens, saturated reds, structural blues and the display feathers males show off in courtship. Most photos are wild birds; where a captive bird appears, it is because the plumage is the clear subject. The captions point to the detail worth looking for and, where it helps a trip, where the bird lives. Hummingbirds have their own gallery, so they are left out here.