Top 20 Small Birds with Long Tails

long-tailed-widowbird

Birds look so amazing when they are flying at the top of the blue sky. Small birds are very famous for their beauty and innocence. But did you know that there are many small birds present in this world that are famous for their long tails? These birds’ amazing flight inspire millions of bird lovers. Following is the list of 10 small birds with long tails.

20. Fork-tailed Flycatcher

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The Fork-tailed Flycatcher, native to South America, boasts a distinctive long, forked tail that sets it apart. This slender bird with striking black and white plumage showcases its impressive tail during intricate aerial displays, making it a captivating sight for bird enthusiasts. Often found in open landscapes, the Fork-tailed Flycatcher utilizes its lengthy tail not only for aesthetic purposes but also for enhancing its agility and precision while catching insects mid-air.

19. Sulfur-breasted Toucan

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Found in the rainforests of Central and South America, the Sulfur-breasted Toucan is recognizable by its vibrant plumage and, notably, its long, colorful tail feathers. These tail feathers, often as long as the body, contribute to the bird’s overall length and agility in flight. The Sulfur-breasted Toucan uses its extended tail to navigate through dense foliage, making it a skillful and visually striking inhabitant of the tropical canopy.

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18. Pin-tailed Whydah

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Native to Africa, the Pin-tailed Whydah stands out with its exceptionally long and slender tail, especially during the breeding season. The male, adorned with vibrant breeding plumage, uses its extended tail feathers to impress females in courtship displays. This small bird’s remarkable adaptation is a testament to nature’s creativity, as the tail serves both ornamental and functional purposes, contributing to the Whydah’s overall charm.

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17. Satin Bowerbird

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The Satin Bowerbird, found in Australia, is celebrated for its unique courtship behavior and the male’s striking satin-like plumage. In addition to its captivating appearance, this small bird exhibits a long and distinctive tail. During mating rituals, the male fans out its tail feathers, contributing to an elaborate display aimed at attracting potential mates. The Satin Bowerbird’s extended tail adds an extra touch of elegance to its courtship performances.

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16. Wire-tailed Swallow

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Inhabiting parts of Africa and Asia, the Wire-tailed Swallow stands out with its sleek, aerodynamic body and exceptionally long tail streamers. These wire-like tail feathers extend well beyond the bird’s body, enhancing its agility during aerial pursuits of insects over water bodies. The Wire-tailed Swallow’s unique tail adaptation showcases the evolutionary ingenuity of nature, providing both functional advantages and a distinctive visual appeal.

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15. Magpie-lark

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The Magpie-lark, native to Australia, is a charismatic songbird recognized for its melodious calls and distinctive black and white plumage. Complementing its striking appearance is a long tail that enhances its overall balance during agile flights. This small bird’s elongated tail feathers contribute to its aerodynamic prowess, allowing it to navigate swiftly across various landscapes while emitting its melodious tunes.

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14. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

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The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, native to North and Central America, boasts an extraordinarily long tail with distinctive elongated outer feathers. During flight, the tail feathers trail behind like delicate streamers, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. This small bird’s lengthy tail aids in maneuvering through the air with precision, allowing it to catch insects on the wing. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher’s unique silhouette and elegant aerial displays make it a favorite among birdwatchers.

12. Streamer-tailed Tyrant

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Found in South America, the Streamer-tailed Tyrant is renowned for its striking black and white plumage and, most notably, its exceptionally long tail streamers. These streamers, extending well beyond the bird’s body, add a dramatic flair to its appearance. The Streamer-tailed Tyrant utilizes its impressive tail during courtship displays, showcasing its agility and attracting potential mates. This small bird’s elongated tail streamers contribute to its visual appeal and make it a captivating species in its native habitat.

11. Rufous-tailed Jacamar

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Native to Central and South America, the Rufous-tailed Jacamar is a small bird celebrated for its stunning iridescent plumage and distinctive long tail. With its vibrant colors and extended tail feathers, this bird stands out in its tropical habitat. The long tail, while adding to its aesthetic appeal, also plays a crucial role in maintaining balance during the bird’s rapid and agile flights as it darts through the lush canopies in search of insects.

10. Red-tailed Hawk

red-tailed-hawk

Red-tailed Hawk is a very beautiful and popular hawk found across North America. This amazing and magnificent bird can be spotted by the naked eye even when it is flying in the sky. Although this hawk has broad wings the most stunning feature of this unique bird is its beautiful tail. Its wide tail is very famous among bird lovers.

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9. Motmot

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Motmots belong to the group of plumaged birds. These small birds contain long tails and are very famous because of their beauty. They live in the neotropical regions of South and Central America. The long tail of this small bird is the most distinguishable feature and is extremely popular among bird lovers. Their lovely plumage with shades of green, yellow, blue, orange, and turquoise is also one of the most striking features.

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8. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

scissor-tailed-flycatcher

This small bird lives in Savannas and the shrubs of North and Central America. Females’ color is quite dull and has a shorter tail than males. The remarkable and beautiful long tail of males features a white underpart and black upper part. Its head is grey with pink sides and belly. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher due to its striking features comes at number 8 in the list of small birds with long tails.

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7. Long-tailed Tit

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Long-tailed Tit has a round body and is found in the temperate regions of Asia and Europe. This small bird can grow only to a length of 13 to 15 cm. But the unique thing is that almost 8 cm of this tiny bird is represented by its long tail. Surprisingly its tail is longer than its whole body. They are cute and have lovely plumage along with eye-catching shades of black, white, and pink.

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6. Golden Pheasant

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Golden Pheasant is well known for its long tail and amazingly beautiful bright coloration. Males look more stunning and colorful than females. They have an attractive golden crest, elegant green upper back, bright red underparts, yellow wattle, and graceful long brown colored tail. Finding a Golden Pheasant is not a difficult task because it is very colorful. Their natural habitat is dense woodlands and forests.

5. Long-tailed Widowbird

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This amazing creature is highly popular for its beauty and long tail. Surprisingly its tail feathers measure up to 20 inches. Only the males have this fascinating tail while the females have the shorter one.  Most of the parts of this long-tailed widowbird are black except their shoulders. The color of their shoulder is orange. The whole personality of this tremendous African species is amazing and eye-pleasing.

4. Superb Lyrebird

superb-lyrebird

Lyrebird marks its name at number 4 in this list because of its extraordinarily long tail feathers. This amazing creature of nature is native to the rainforests of Southeastern Australia. Males consist of remarkably large tails (up to 28 inches). It actually took seven years to reach that amazing full length.

3. Indian Peafowl

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It is also famous for the name of a peacock. Peacock is the name of a male bird that actually belongs to the Peafowl family. Among this family, the Indian Peafowl is highly famous. Other species of this family include Congo and green peafowl. As we all know peacocks are famous for their magnificent and elegant courtship display by spreading their beautiful large tail feathers. The only peacock has such kind of amazing colorful tails. Another striking feature of this amazing creature is its beautiful eyespots.

2. Wilson’s Bird Of Paradise

wilson’s-bird-of-paradise

This colorful bird is renowned for its vibrant courtship display. They are native to the lowland rainforests of the Papua islands of Batanta and Waigeo. There are only a few birds that have this type of magnificent mixture of colors. They have a stylish bluish head with black patterns, black upper wings, blue feet, turquoise, and a yellow mantle.

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1. Ribbon-tailed Astrapia: #1 On the List of Small Birds with Long Tails

ribbon tailed astrapia - Small Birds with Long Tails

Ribbon-tailed Astrapia lives in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. This amazing creature has a length of up to 1 foot and is at the top of the list of small birds with long tails. Its white feathers look like a ribbon and can grow up to 3 feet. Their large tails give them a unique and beautiful look.