You mean Vanellus vanellus?
Most beautiful bird I have seen ā there are a few, but the list would have to include Resplendent Quetzal in a Costa Rica cloud forest. The one I remember best from Taiwan is the Gray-chinned Minivet. And during my time in Hawaii, I most enjoyed the Hawaiian honeycreepers: Iāiwi, 'Apapane, and Oahu 'Amakihi.
Most beautiful bird ever ā I assume this means one that I know about, maybe from pictures, but have not seen for myself? There are so many hummingbirds in Central and South America that are ādrop-dead gorgeous,ā as the expression goes. And I plan to visit New Guinea, sometime after COVID ends, specifically to see birds-of-paradise.
Most beautiful bird song I have heard ā there are two. One is the White-rumped Shama, whose song sounds so exotic and jungly it made me feel like I was on an adventure whenever I heard it. The other is the Pacific Wren, which begins in late winter, and is just so loud and bubbly it fills the forest with joy.
Most beautiful bird song ever ā I couldnāt say, because descriptions written in books to not capture songs well.
1 Like
Yes, their calls are like from another planet plus they remind me of my childhood before 50 builduings were built on their nesting grounds.
2 Likes
The most beautiful single bird I ever saw was an American avocet. I live in NE Ohio. They only come through during migration. They donāt come to the Cleveland area much because we donāt have many wetlands in this county. But, a few years ago, one stopped by a local city park with a beach on the lakefront. I was lucky enough to have seen it at fairly close range. I think they are very elegant birds. I was surprised at how big the avocet was. It was almost as big as the gulls nearby.
Songsā¦thatās tough. I try to go out in the spring as much as possible to look for and listen for the migrating birds. We are very fortunate in NE Ohio as we get a lot of warblers passing through. I think many would also qualify as the most beautiful bird I have ever seen. They are little gems. And, many are singing on their way north. I think the Veery has a beautiful song. But, I really canāt narrow that down to just one bird. Honestly, I enjoy hearing plain birds like field sparrows because, when they arrive and are singing, it is the beginning of springtime.
2 Likes
So sad 
Tried hearing the Red-wattled lapwing? I donāt like it too much, but I hear it whenever I visit a patch of wild land. Always, even if the patch is only 15 square metres!
Listen using eBird.org. They have audio for most of the species, following a recent collaboration with the Internet Bird Collection, introducing many new species into the media archive, the Macaulay Library. Search some blog-post-lists and test them out.
1 Like
A bigger database is found here:
https://www.xeno-canto.org/
Like eBird, anyone can contribute to it.
It doesnāt have the additional information about a species like eBird; but, it gives a wider variety of songs/calls for a species.
3 Likes
Thanks! But note that I am a dedicated eBirdwatcher!
The best bird sound Iāve ever heard was from the black-throated laughingthrush, and the most beautiful bird Iāve ever seen is the falcated duck and oriental stork (if thatās considered as beautiful)
1 Like
Iād have to go with:
Most beautiful Iāve seen (in wild only):
Schalowās Lourie (Turaco);
Narina Trogon
Red-headed weaver?
Most beautiful ever:
Various Asian pheasants look as though they were specifically designed to fulfil this.
Most beautiful calls Iāve heard:
Rossā Turaco
Eurasian Curlew
Mos beautiful calls ever - I only know ones I have heard, soā¦
1 Like
I have to give a nod to my all-time favorite: Annaās Hummingbird; always fascinated by how their colors change with the slightest angle of the light.
They make several sounds with their features that are interesting - the vvrrrbbb of their wings with they are chasing off a rival and the TWEEAKK of the tail features when they do parabolic dives .
Most of the time, they make a kind of tsk-tsk kissing sound, which is cute, if not beautiful. But, on occasion, I have seen a hummer in my patio singing quite sweetly. I just spent hours looking through my photos to see if I could find a video I thought I got that captured some of the song. It was fun to look back, but I was frustrated in my search.
1 Like
It is very difficult to single out a particular bird but there are sightings that I remember vividly. Perhaps the most vivid is from the Chobe enclave in northern Botswana. I was driving from the village of Satau where I lived to a location where we were catching and drying fish for a drought relief program. It was an area that had been flooded until recently and the track was overgrown with two plus metre high grass. As I was driving a carmine bee-eater flashed across the front of my truck. They are gorgeous birds and I was thrilled. Then it came around again. Soon it was joined by another carmine bee-eater. Then lilac-breasted rollers. The birds were feasting on the insects I kicked up as I drove through the grass and they circled around my truck for several kilometres. All told I believe I had three bee-eater species and two roller species plus some less spectacular participants in my entourage. It was magical and I laughed out loud at times at the spectacle.
2 Likes
What a fun thread! How about the humble meadowlark?
Lots of āspring of the yearā with an occasional heart melting āspring of the yeaaar (downward)ā
2 Likes
Lilac-breasted Rollers are pretty, but almost over-done in the abundance of their colors. I took this photo in Ngorongoro and the little thing looks almost smug showing off its colors.
Where Iām working in Vietnam I get a lot of Crimson Sunbirds and Olive-backed sunbirds (the cream-bellied subspecies), both of which are really pretty too.
Crimson Sunbird
Cream-bellied Olive-backed Sunbird
Hummingbirds are right near the top of the list for pretty birds as well, but theyāre difficult to get really great photos of. Iām still trying, but Iām not in a part of the world that gas hummingbirds right now.
Kingfishers also rank pretty highly.
This Gray-headed Kingfisher on the edge of Lake Victoria is a handsome fellow.
Itās not always the colorful, flashy birds that are really pretty though.
This Common Raven was extremely pretty too.
2 Likes
The American Robin, though common, has a beautiful song. I think two of the most beautiful birds are the Lazuli Bunting and the Western Tanager.
1 Like
From the comments to that audio:
PyroGothNerd:
āItās sadder to know:
His species mated for life
Those pauses are where the female was supposed to chime in. This was a mating duet.ā
Trash Binge:
āWhat really pains me is how he just seems to give up at the end. It started off as such a beautiful melody, not just some random chirps but a beautiful melody. And as it goes on you can hear him just give up.ā
And similarly haunting ones. There is a book, Extinct Birds by Errol Fuller, which actually has the notes of another extinct birdsong, that of the New Zealand Huia, written out on a standard musical staff. The text comments that it may be the only extinct birdsong documented in such a manner.
4 Likes
My favourite bird call is the Tickellās Blue flycatcherās sound and the most beautiful bird for me is the the Asian fairy-bluebird
1 Like
Yes, I agree! The flycatcherās tinkles just lull me to a calm rest like a wind-chimeā¦ 
2 Likes
I heard a Tickellās flycatcher!!! Time for yet another editā¦