101 Random Fun Facts about Birds

We’ve created this list of 101 random fun facts about birds for your enjoyment and for you to share with friends!

Random Fun Facts 1-25
Random Fun Facts 25-50
Random Run Facts 51-75
Random Run Facts 76-101

Random Fun Facts 1-25

Here are 25 random fun facts about birds:

The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds of over 240 miles per hour when diving for prey.
The smallest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird, which weighs less than a penny.
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world, standing up to nine feet tall and weighing up to 320 pounds.
The kiwi, a flightless bird native to New Zealand, has its nostrils located at the tip of its beak.
Flamingos are born with gray feathers, which gradually turn pink due to the high amounts of beta-carotene in their diet.
The bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, can see up to eight times farther than humans.
The albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird, with some species’ wingspans measuring up to 12 feet.
Some birds, such as the African grey parrot and the New Caledonian crow, have been observed using tools to obtain food.
The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward.
The chicken is the most common bird in the world, with over 25 billion chickens in existence.
The American goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is the smallest bird of prey in Europe.
The common loon is the state bird of Minnesota.
The California condor has the largest wingspan of any bird in North America.
The national bird of Australia is the emu.
The American robin is a popular bird for ornithology studies due to its widespread distribution throughout North America.
The largest egg laid by any bird is that of the ostrich, which can weigh up to three pounds.
The kiwi is the only bird that has nostrils at the end of its beak.
The northern cardinal is the state bird of seven US states.
The African ostrich is the world’s largest living bird.
The peacock is the national bird of India.
The African penguin is the only penguin species that breeds in Africa.
The hoatzin, a bird native to South America, has a digestive system that produces methane gas, giving it a distinctive odor.
The penguin is the only bird that can swim but not fly.
The barn owl has such acute hearing that it can locate prey even in complete darkness.

Random Fun Facts 26-50

Here are another 25 random fun facts about birds:

The national bird of Canada is the common loon.
The Andean condor is one of the heaviest flying birds, weighing up to 33 pounds.
The kea, a species of parrot native to New Zealand, is known for its intelligence and mischievous behavior.
The tawny owl is the most common owl species in Europe.
The northern goshawk is one of the largest birds of prey in the world.
The national bird of Russia is the double-headed eagle.
The mute swan is one of the heaviest flying birds, weighing up to 33 pounds.
The rock pigeon, also known as the city pigeon or street pigeon, is a common sight in urban areas worldwide.
The great horned owl is the most widely distributed owl species in North America.
The national bird of Mexico is the golden eagle.
The ostrich is the only bird with two toes on each foot.
The helmeted guinea fowl, a bird native to Africa, is known for its distinctive call and its habit of running rather than flying.
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward.
The common ostrich is the largest bird in the world, and can grow up to 9 feet tall.
Penguins are birds that cannot fly, but are excellent swimmers and can dive up to 500 feet deep.
The song of the male canary is usually louder and more complex than that of the female, and can be used to attract a mate.
The kiwi bird, native to New Zealand, lays the largest egg relative to its body size of any bird in the world.
The bald eagle, the national bird and symbol of the United States, can see four to seven times farther than a human with 20/20 vision.
The bee hummingbird, found only in Cuba, is the smallest bird in the world and can weigh less than a penny.
The hoatzin, found in the Amazon rainforest, is a bird with a unique digestive system that allows it to break down tough leaves using bacteria in its crop.
The great horned owl has a unique adaptation where it has feathers on its legs that resemble pants, giving the impression that its legs are longer than they actually are.
The Victoria crowned pigeon, found in Indonesia and New Guinea, has a beautiful blue plumage and can grow up to 3 feet tall.
Flamingos are born with grey feathers, but their feathers turn pink due to the pigments in their diet of brine shrimp and blue-green algae.
The male peacock’s colorful feathers are used to attract a mate, but they are also used to deter predators by making the bird appear larger and more intimidating.
The African grey parrot is considered one of the most intelligent birds, and has been known to learn hundreds of words and phrases.

Random Fun Facts about Birds 51-75

Here are another 25 random fun facts about birds:

The European robin is a popular symbol of Christmas in Europe and is often depicted on Christmas cards.
The American goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington.
The kakapo, a flightless parrot native to New Zealand, is the heaviest parrot in the world and can weigh up to 9 pounds.
The snowy owl, made famous in the Harry Potter books and movies, is a bird of prey that lives in the Arctic tundra and can grow up to 2 feet tall.
The lyrebird is a songbird native to Australia that is famous for its incredible mimicry of other birds’ calls, as well as human sounds like car alarms and chainsaws.
The common loon is the state bird of Minnesota, and its eerie, haunting call is a familiar sound on northern lakes.
The kea, a species of parrot native to New Zealand, is known for its mischievous and curious nature and has been known to steal items from tourists and locals.
The bar-tailed godwit is a bird that can fly for up to 7 days straight without stopping, covering a distance of up to 7,000 miles.
The shoebill, a large bird native to Africa, has a distinctive bill that resembles a shoe and is used to catch fish.
The eastern bluebird is the state bird of Missouri and New York.
The frigatebird is a seabird that can stay in the air for weeks at a time without landing, using air currents to stay aloft.
The snowy egret, a small white heron found in North and South America, was almost hunted to extinction for its feathers, which were used to make hats.
The Eurasian magpie is a member of the crow family and is known for its intelligence and problem-solving abilities.
The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, and can reach speeds of up to 240 mph when diving to catch prey.
The common raven is known for its intelligence and ability to solve problems, and is a popular subject in myths and legends around the world.
The harpy eagle, found in Central and South America, is a powerful bird of prey that can hunt animals as large as monkeys and sloths.
The northern cardinal is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The black swan, native to Australia, was once believed to be a mythical creature.
The American kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America, and is known for its ability to hover in place while hunting.
The tui, a bird native to New Zealand, has a beautiful song that is a mix of whistles, clicks, and gurgles.
The resplendent quetzal, found in Central America, was revered by the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations for its striking green and red plumage.
The American white pelican has the longest bill of any bird in North America, and can hold up to 3 gallons of water in its bill pouch.
The common grackle is known for its distinctive, harsh call and its habit of roosting in large groups.
The smallest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird, which measures only 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) in length and weighs less than a penny.
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world, weighing up to 320 pounds (145 kg) and standing over 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall.

Random Fun Facts about Birds 76-101

Here are another 26 random fun facts about birds:

The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds of over 240 mph (386 km/h) during a dive.
The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird, with a wingspan that can reach up to 11.5 feet (3.5 meters).
Some species of birds are known to use tools, such as the New Caledonian crow, which uses sticks to extract insects from trees.
The kiwi bird, which is native to New Zealand, is flightless and lays the largest egg relative to its body size of any bird.
The hoatzin, a bird found in South America, has a unique digestive system that allows it to ferment food in its crop, giving it a distinct odor that some people have compared to the smell of cow manure.
The chicken is the most common bird in the world, with an estimated population of over 25 billion.
The American goldfinch is the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington.
The national bird of the United States is the bald eagle.
The national bird of India is the Indian peafowl, also known as the peacock.
The national bird of New Zealand is the kiwi.
The national bird of Canada is the common loon.
The national bird of Australia is the emu.
The national bird of Japan is the green pheasant.
The national bird of Costa Rica is the clay-colored thrush.
The national bird of the Bahamas is the flamingo.
The national bird of Trinidad and Tobago is the scarlet ibis.
The bird with the longest migration distance is the Arctic Tern, which migrates up to 44,000 miles (70,900 km) each year from its Arctic breeding grounds to its wintering grounds in Antarctica.
Some species of birds, such as pigeons and homing pigeons, have the ability to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field.
The oldest known bird is the Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period.
The smallest bird egg belongs to the vervain hummingbird, which lays eggs that are only about the size of a pea.
The largest bird egg belongs to the ostrich, and can weigh up to 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg).
The lyrebird, which is native to Australia, is known for its ability to mimic a wide variety of sounds, including other bird calls, human speech, and even the sound of chainsaws and car alarms.
The male superb bird-of-paradise, which is native to New Guinea, has a unique courtship display in which it spreads its feathers and performs a dance while making a variety of sounds.
The Andean condor is one of the longest-living birds, with a lifespan of up to 70 years.
The Kakapo, a flightless parrot native to New Zealand, is one of the rarest birds in the world, with a population of only around 200 individuals.
Penguins are the only birds that can swim but cannot fly.
Some birds have the ability to mimic sounds, including human speech. The most famous of these is the African Grey Parrot, which can learn up to 1,000 words.
The smallest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird, which is found in Cuba and measures just 2.25 inches long.
The longest migration made by any bird is by the Arctic Tern, which travels from its breeding grounds in the Arctic to its wintering grounds in the Antarctic and back again, covering a distance of up to 44,000 miles.
Some birds have the ability to see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to humans. This helps them to locate food and navigate.
The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States.
The shape and size of a bird’s beak is adapted to the type of food it eats. For example, birds that eat seeds have short, thick beaks, while birds that eat insects have long, thin beaks.
The kiwi bird, which is native to New Zealand, is the only bird that has nostrils at the end of its beak.
The Northern Cardinal, which is the state bird of seven U.S. states, was once considered a pet in Europe because of its bright red feathers.
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world, standing up to 9 feet tall and weighing up to 320 pounds.
The hoatzin, which is found in South America, is sometimes called the “stinkbird” because of the foul odor it emits when threatened.
Some birds, such as the American Robin, have the ability to see the Earth’s magnetic field, which helps them to navigate during migration.
The white-tailed eagle, which is found in Europe and Asia, has the largest wingspan of any eagle, measuring up to 8 feet.
The Superb Lyrebird, which is found in Australia, is known for its ability to mimic not only other bird calls, but also sounds such as chainsaws and car alarms.
The male Frigatebird, which is found in tropical regions, has a bright red throat pouch that it inflates during courtship displays.
The African Fish Eagle, which is found in sub-Saharan Africa, is sometimes called the “king of the birds” because of its powerful build and majestic appearance.
The Andean Condor, which is found in South America, has the largest wingspan of any bird that can fly, measuring up to 10 feet.
The Kookaburra, which is found in Australia, is known for its distinctive call, which sounds like human laughter.
The Eurasian Roller, which is found in Europe and Asia, is sometimes called the “blue bird” because of its bright blue feathers.
The National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the largest aviary in the United States.
The Secretarybird, which is found in Africa, gets its name from the crest of feathers on its head that resemble the quill pens that secretaries used to use.
The Sword-billed Hummingbird, which is found in South America, has the longest bill of any bird relative to its body size, measuring up to 4 inches.