7 Amazing Birds With LONG TAIL FEATHERS (Photos & Key Facts)

When it comes to bird watching, there are plenty of different birds that people enjoy spotting.

Whether that is a bird with a different color mohawk, a long beak, a bright orange beak, or in this case, surprisingly long tail feathers.

When we think of birds with long tail feathers, most of us think about the peacock.

However, this isn’t the only long tail bird we should consider, and looking deep into nature, you will find plenty more species with fantastic long tail feathers or all kinds of colors.

In this article, we will look at examples of these birds which come from all over the globe and tell you all about what to watch out for on your next bird-watching trip.

We will look at how the feathers go that long and reference some feathery vocabulary every bird lover will understand. Let’s jump in!

Ribbon-Tailed Astrapia

This is a male bird and is a bird-of-paradise species. It has long, white tail feathers which look like beautiful ribbons.

These feathers can reach a whole meter long and since the bird itself is only around 32cm, this means their tails can grow up to three times the length of their body.

In mating season, the males like to wave their feathers high in branches and this is thought to be a way of impressing female birds.

They have bright green faces and they are topped with a plume that looks like a furry pom-pom. A fantastic sight to see!

Suburb Lyrebird

The long tail of this bird which originates from Australia gives it its name. The tail is shaped and looks like a lyre and is one of the biggest songbirds you will see.

Weighing over 2 pounds and measuring over three feet long with a 28-inch long tail and 16 feathers, they are a sight to see for anyone!

The two outer feathers resemble the lyre and in the middle of the silver feathers, the center of the lyre is resembled by two silver median feathers.

The male likes to form a courtship ritual and during this ritual, he fan the tail over its head and its body, before shivering the feathers, beating his wings, and singing at the same time.

Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo

This black long-tailed bird has a unique tail that looks like sticks or rackets used in hockey, hence the name.

The outer tail feathers are elongated and they have a spine with tips on the end.

The species likes to imitate other bird calls and this is thought to help them incorporate themselves into a mixed-species flock.

They are also known for having a trait called kleptoparasitism, which means essentially they have a talent for stealing other food caught by other animals- cheeky!

Great Argus Pheasant

This bird can fan out its spectacular display of feathers whenever they want to impress other feathers and they are native to southeast Asia.

They are bigger than other pheasants and can be 79 inches long.

However, although they have a long feathered tail, they also have secondary wing feathers which they use with their tail to impress female birds.

In its courtship ritual, the male bird clears space and calls to attract females. They come together to watch the male spread their wings and dance.

The wings have tiny eyes and this gives the pheasant its name as Argus was a Greek mythical giant who has 100 watching eyes.

Long-Tailed Widowbird

The male Long-tailed Widoebird has fascinating long black tails with a mostly black body and this is what gives it its name of the ‘widowbird’.

This reflects the old tradition where widows were black for a long while after their husbands had died.

Although they are all black, they have striking flashes of red, white, and orange too and their tail flows delicately behind them.

In their breeding season, the males form territory and give a display for their females. This display is graceful and attempts to impress the females.

Males are also polygynous and this means they might gather up to 5 females to breed.

Scarlet Macaw

This bird is found in the subtropical rainforest in South America and is known for its bright and bold colors such as yellow, blue, and red.

They have the longest tail feathers of all other macaws and they also practice geophagy which is known as clay-eating.

They are known to snack on clay to counteract any toxic effects of the fruit they eat. They are also the famous pet of pirates at sea you see in movies and are social.

They like to form large groups in the canopy and they can be heard from miles away.

Alexandra’s Parrot

Alexandra’s parrot is a magnificent bird, filled with pastel colors on its feathers of pink, green, and blue.

A lot of bird enthusiasts will know how parrots tend to have long tails, but the tail of this species is even longer.

The parrot is native to Australia and as with a lot of long-tailed birds, their tail is longer than the female.

The male also has a bright beak which is usually a coral color and stunning orange eyes. They are a spectacle!

This type of parrot is often kept as a pet and bred in captivity, which means there are around three variations of colors for this bird.

They live up to 30 years old and famously, can be taught to talk!

Final Thoughts

We hope this article has been interesting and you are keen to find out more about the long-tailed feathers of so many birds all over the world!

You might want to even grab your binoculars and try and spot one for yourself!

With all the bright and magical colors and long and majestic tails that most use to impress females, they are a sight to behold and we promise they are worth the trip into nature to find!