Freaks of Nature: Some of Nature’s Most Unusual Birds

Read about some of Nature's most unusual birds

With prehistoric links to the Jurassic period, the world of birds is rife with some of nature’s most bizarre species. From the flamboyant feathers of tropical birds to the parasitic tendencies of the common cuckoo, birds display a vast array of peculiar visual and habitual traits. This article examines a number of particularly outlandish birds.

Table of contents

The Crested Auklet

To begin with, the Crested Auklet, an arctic bird resembling a small penguin, takes the cake for freaky behavior and a peculiar appearance. With a florescent bill, glowing eyes, and a seasonal fringe, the crested auklet is immediately recognizable by its distinct appearance and pungent citrus smell. However, the visual and olfactory traits of this bird are merely the beginning of the creature’s oddity. 

Crested auklets are known for their bizarre mating rituals that involve the voyeuristic participation of the surrounding flock. When two birds court, their fellow auklets form a scrum surrounding the pair where they proceed to enthusiastically squawk and jostle the couple, egging on the nuptials. The unique appearance of the bird, paired with its citrusy smell and provocative mating behavior, make it one of nature’s more freaky birds. 

 

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A typical Crested Auklet ‘scrum' involving a central courting pair and surrounding excited participants and onlookers.

A typical Crested Auklet ‘scrum’ involving a central courting pair and surrounding excited participants and onlookers.

Photo: Ian L. Jones

The Common Cuckoo

The fledgling cuckoo ejects its adopted siblings from the nest

Pl. 183, Cuckoo (young ejecting infant Titlark)

Gould Birds of Great Britain

The Common Cuckoo is a species known for its unconventional parenting strategies and parasitic tendencies. Not to be tied down to domestic life, a female cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, deferring all parenting to the unsuspecting host. Once the egg has hatched, the fledgling cuckoo often ejects its adopted siblings from the nest to eliminate competition for resources. Thus, it received all the food and attention from the unwitting host whose own fledglings had been expelled from the nest. 

A European Robin feeding a Common Cuckoo chick.

A comparatively tiny adult European Robin feeding a Common Cuckoo chick.

Ivan Phillipsen, “What Is Brood Parasitism in Birds?”, Science of Birds

The Secretary Bird

Secretary Bird

Photo: Michel Bourque

With a predatory beak, decorative crown, and long legs, the Secretary Bird appears to be a cobbled-together mishmash of different species. Additionally, its partially feathered legs resemble cutoff trousers meanwhile its decorative crest and long lashes make it apparent how this anthropomorphic bird got its name. You might not look twice if you saw this bird walking past your cubicle. 

Fuertes Pl. 12, Secretary Bird

Pl. 12, Secretary Bird

Louis Agassiz Fuertes

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The Great Grey Shrike

The Great Grey Shrike is a cunning bird known for its tactful baiting strategies and merciless execution techniques. With a dark mask like an assassin, the shrike will sometimes mimic the song of other birds in order to lure their prey into a secluded location. Once the prey is sequestered within reach, the shrike will strike, capturing the unsuspecting creature and impaling it on a thorny branch. The shrike’s Machiavellian tendencies and gruesome execution techniques make it one of nature’s more freaky birds. 

The Great Grey Shrike is known for

Photo: Country Life

Gould Birds of Great Britain, Pl. 50, Great Grey Shrike

Pl. 50, Great Grey Shrike

Gould Birds of Great Britain

These are but a few examples of the bizarre tendencies and outlandish appearances to be found in the world of birds. 

Browse Avian and Wildlife Prints

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Oppenheimer Editions Fine Art Print | circa 2013 | Limited edition of 200 | 21 7/8 x 15 inches

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A Monograph of the Phasianidae or Family of Pheasants - Oppenheimer Editions

Elliot Pheasants Pl. 42, Iris Polyplectron

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Elliot Pheasants Pl. 42, Iris Polyplectron

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Family of Hummingbirds - Antique Originals

Gould Hummingbirds, Pl. 11A, Guiana Violet-ear

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Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1849 – 1861 | 21 ¾ x 15 inches

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Monograph Felidae or Family of Cats - Antique Originals

Elliot Pl. 32, The Desert Cat

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Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1872 | 23 ½ x 18 ½ inches

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Original Hand-colored engraving from American Ornithology 1st Edition - 1808 – 1814

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The Natural History of Carolina - The Field Museum Edition

Catesby Map of Florida

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Field Museum Oppenheimer Editions Fine Art Print Print

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Oppenheimer Editions Fine Art Print | circa 2013 | Limited edition of 200 | 21 7/8 x 15 inches

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Birds of Europe - Antique Originals

Lear Birds of Europe, Pl. 430 Great Black-backed Gull

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Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1832 – 1837 | 21 ¾ x 15 inches

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Birds of Europe - Antique Originals

Gould Birds of Europe, Pl. 142 White-winged Wagtail

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Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1832 – 1837 | 21 ¾ x 15 inches

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Birds of Europe - Antique Originals

Gould Birds of Europe, Pl. 171 Common Bunting

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Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1832 – 1837 | 21 ¾ x 15 inches

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Original Hand-colored engraving from American Ornithology 2nd Edition - 1818 - 1829

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