7 Amazing Birds With AFROS (Photos & Fun Facts)

Have you ever wondered what a bird with an afro looked like? Well, you have come to the right place.

There are plenty of birds out there with fluffy feathered noggins and one, in particular, known as the crested duck, which has been nicknamed the ‘duck with an afro’.

Special crowns, crests, and plumes can be found on birds by bird watchers all over the world, and they are something spectacular to spot.

They can be used for mating or intimidation and at the end of the day, they look pretty cool too.

In this article, we take a look at the crested duck, as well as explore some similar birds with an afro-type hairstyle on top of their head, to try and help you identify the bird you next see with a fluffy noggin.

Let’s dive in.

The Crested Duck

Arguably the most famous bird with an afro is the crested duck. Nobody can pinpoint where these ducks came from but they are supposed to be descendants of the Mallard ducks.

Their afro-style hair is a mutation that happened to the Mallards and their descendants. This means crested ducks have been around for a very long time.

It is likely to have come from India or that region, but we cannot be 100% sure.

In the 17th century, they were shipped over to Holland, however, and they became an official breed at the end of the 19th century in the US.

They certainly look unique, and the crazy hair of these birds is the result of a genetic deformity.

The head has a small tuft of thick feathers that looks like an afro and this gave the duck its nickname, “duck with an afro”.

As there is no skull underneath tuft of feathers, these keep growing and growing.

The crested duck comes in two sizes, either the standard or the bantam breed.

Both have crests or ‘afros’ on their heads but the standard breed only weighs around 7 pounds for males and 6 pounds for females whereas the bantam only weighs around 2.5 pounds for males and 2 pounds for females.

Although there are multiple colors, white and black-crested ducks are the most popular and recognized colors by the American Poultry Association.

Andean Cock Of The Rock

This little bird is the national bird of Peru, found in the cloud mountains of the Andes, and is known for croaking like a frog and making mud cup nests.

Their colors are fascinating and the females are a bold dark orange but the males have bright orange feathers with a disc-like puff of plumage on top of their heads.

They will spend their days croaking and showing off their hairdos. They use their fluffy afro-like plumage to attract females.

Blue Crowned Pigeon

We all know what a Rock Pigeon looks like, but have you ever seen a pigeon with an afro?

The blue-crowned pigeon is the second-largest dove species on the globe and hence the name seems to have a blue crown on top of its head.

This blue crown however looks like an afro but is a plumage that is a warm, toasty purple and a fluffy crest on top.

The pigeon is one of the fanciest birds you will find and the giant version weighs nearly 5 pounds.

The females are equally ornate to the males, however, as with most birds, the male is slightly larger.

Hoopoe

This bird does not have the popping colors of the Andean Cock of the Rock, however, it has black and white striped feathers and they certainly make a statement.

They are named after their sound and call which is a low ‘hoop, hoop’ and it is the national bird of Israel.

The birds love to take dust baths and sunbathe when they spread their feathers out.

The crested avians are territorial and they like to make nests in holes they find in any wall or tree nearby.

For extra safety, the females and the small nestlings have a gland this smells similar to rotting meat. However, this can ward off parasites and any potential predators.

Although not as similar to an afro, their feathers stick up over their head, looking like a mix of an afro and a mohawk, and again, these are black and white.

Cassowary

These are prehistoric birds and stand at almost 6.5 feet tall. They weigh over 100 pounds and can run fast. When we say fast, we mean over 30 miles an hour!

Next to the ostrich, they are the second-largest bird in the world.

However, this is not the only thing they are famous for and they have a fascinating casque on their heads which looks very similar to an afro.

They share this famous trait with the hornbill.

These dinosaur-type birds are peaceful most of the time, however since they have claws and very powerful kicks, they should not be tested.

Black Crowned Crane

This bird is a crane found in the savannahs of Africa.

Their colors are black but they do have pops of white and red and since we are looking at birds that have afro-like heads, also a gold crown of feathers on top.

They have a red pouch that hangs underneath their beak and this is known as a gular sac. This can become inflated to allow for their mating calls.

The bird is known for being quite elegant and nests in the wetlands. They eat lots of small animals and bugs but due to a declining habitat, are now a vulnerable species.

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this article on birds with afros. The most famous bird is the crested duck and his fluffy head does look like a human afro.

However, other birds on this list have similar traits, and these paired with their popping colors make for a bird-watchers paradise!