Birds have some of the most vibrant colors and patterns on their bodies than any terrestrial mammal. Birds can detect colors, so it’s no surprise that they put on a beautiful show of colors and patterns. Birds are seen across the globe, but which one do you think is the most beautiful of them all.

1. Blue-gray Tanager

This little songbird is blue. It is blue like no other bird is blue. Even the mountain bluebird is not as blue as this bird. Its shades of blue range from Alice blue on the head to cerulean on the breast to purplish-blue and sapphire blue on the wings. The wings may be tipped with midnight blue. Found from Mexico to the Amazon to Trinidad and Tobago, this beautiful, noisy bird is as fearless as it is blue. It flourishes near human habitation and secondary forests.

2. Gouldian Finch

If a child was given a box of crayons and an outline of a bird, they would probably create something as colorful as the Gouldian finch, one of the most beautiful birds in the world. The male has a red and black face capped with turquoise blue and olive green, an olive green back, a purple breast, a yellow belly, and a turquoise blue rump. The female of this species is also brightly colored, though her breast is mauver than purple. But this is but one of many color mutations, for the bird was bred in captivity before the Australian government banned its export. One weird thing is that the open mouths of the chicks seem to sport beads that glow in the dark. Scientists don’t quite know their purpose.

3. Scarlet Tanager

Not all beautiful birds have to be exotic. The scarlet tanager is found in the United States east of the Mississippi and winters down in northwestern South America. Though its scientific name is Piranga olivacea, with olivacea meaning “olive green” the male of this common bird is an intense scarlet with deeply black wings. The red is especially vibrant during the breeding season and may even outdo the red of its cousin the cardinal. It is the female who is olive green. Scarlet tanagers adore oranges, by the way. To attract one, impale an orange half on a tree limb.

4. Victoria Crowned Pigeon

The Victoria crowned pigeon is singular. Found in New Guinea, it is a terrestrial pigeon that lives on the ground. Named for Queen Victoria, it is notable for its “crown” a crest with violet-blue, white-tipped fan-shaped feathers. The bird has a purplish-maroon breast, and it has a bar of pale blue feathers on its deeper blue wings. Even the legs, which are unusually scaly are attractive. The blue and purplish feathers of the bird contrast wonderfully with its ruby-red eyes. Unfortunately, this large pigeon’s conservation status is near threatened.

5. Turquoise Parrot

Found in eastern Australia, the sexes of this small parrot are sort of similar, though the female is paler. The male is mostly green with a yellow belly and it’s the amazing, clear turquoise blue of his face and wings that place him on the list of the most beautiful birds in the world. Not only are his wings blue, but they also have red patches on the shoulders.