Purple is a color often associated with royalty, mystique, and beauty. When you think of birds, you might not be able to picture a purple one. But there are several birds with purple feathers in the world. Some just have small purple accents, while others feature purple prominently on large portions of their body. Join us as we look at 20 purple birds, both in the U.S. and some interesting species from around the world.
20 Purple Birds
First, we will focus on 12 purple birds you can see in North America, specifically the United States. However, since there are many other purple birds worldwide, we’ve also included 7 beautiful species from other countries to finish up our article. Let’s dive in!
1. Purple Gallinule
Scientific Name: Porphyrio martinicus
A juvenile purple gallinule is light brown and plain-looking. But adults are starkly different. Adults are colorful birds with purple feathers on their heads and chests. They have iridescent green, blue, and brown feathers along their backs. Their beaks are red with a yellow tip. Even their legs and feet are colorful, a bright neon yellow. Their extra long toes help them to walk on top of aquatic vegetation in their preferred shallow freshwater habitat. Found mainly in South America and along the Mexican coast, they are also year-round residents of Florida and some move north into the Southeastern U.S. to breed.
2. Varied Bunting
Scientific Name: Passerina versicolor
The varied bunting is a songbird found in Central America. During the breeding season, they can be found in a few parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Females are light brown, but the males are the reason this bird makes the list. Adult males have violet on their head, wings and tail with a red wash on their chest and upper back. They also sport a bright red stripe on top of their head. These little buntings use thorny shrubs for nesting to help protect them from predators. They may remind you of their colorful cousin, the Painted Bunting.
3. European Starling
