There’s a reason why the cute baby animal pics scene is dominated by mammals like kitties and bunnies, but you don’t see a lot of baby birds. It’s because most of them have some serious awkward phases (with the exception of ducks and chickens… they seem to be blessed with looking cute in their baby pictures.) Where do you think the tale of the Ugly Duckling comes from? Apparently, it takes a while to grow a majestic and functional coat of feathers, and they can look pretty silly in the meantime.
Scroll down to see some impressive bird glow-ups. We bet you didn’t know what at least a few of these birds looked like as babies. Upvote the ones that surprise you the most!
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Cardinal
Everyone loves seeing cute, red cardinals outside their window. They're so popular that they have been designated the state bird of seven states in the US: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Peacock
Technically, only the males of this species are peacocks, while the females are peahens, and all of them together are peafowl. Also, technically, a group of them is called an "ostentation" or a "pride", but we probably won't remember either of those rules.
i was always impressed how adorable peachick eyes are, almost like he used liner
Tuffted Puffin
Puffins' feet and beaks only turn orange during their spring breeding season. Conveniently for them, that's also the only time when they come ashore, so we only have photos of them looking their best.
Pigeons are an unusual case because, even if you live in a city and you see more pigeons than you can count every day, you’ve probably never seen one tending to a nest with baby pigeons in it.
That’s because the feral pigeons that live in cities all over the world are descended from rock doves, which put their nests on steep rock faces, or in caves. Urban pigeons carry on this behavior by nesting on roofs, under windowsills on tall buildings, and anywhere where absolutely nobody without wings can find them. If you hadn't thought about it until now, that's proof that they're good at it.
Pigeons stay safely hidden away until they’re at least 40 days old, and then they come out with a shiny coat of feathers just like their parents. Good for them, it looks like it’s less embarrassing that way.
Barn Owl
Barn owls don't actually hoot, they only screech. Mood.
Grey Crowned Crane
The grey-crowned crane, one of the flashiest members of the crane family, lives in south and east Africa and is the national bird of Uganda.
Toco Toucan
The size of a toucan's bill can make predators think that it isn't worth trying to catch one, but it's so light and delicate that it's not actually useful for self-defense.
Chicken
It only takes 21 days for a fertilized chicken egg to form a fluffy little chick like this one, but it takes a lot of work. A hen turns the egg over at least 50 times a day so it can remain in the center of the egg and grow normally.
This is weird but my 86(?) Year old grandmother has a phobia of baby chicks like this. Freaks her out.
Goffin's Cockatoo
If you haven't had any kind of cockatoo as a pet before, you probably didn't know that they produce dust. It keeps their feathers clean, but does the opposite for the bird owner's home.
Peregrine Falcon
Falcons can be trained to be bird security guards and keep other birds away from places where they could cause trouble, like landfills or vineyards.
Chaffinch
Chaffinches are some of the most common singing birds, but maybe "singing" isn't the right word, as they actually have at least 9 calls with consistent and discrete meanings.
Bleeding-Heart Pidgoen
Well, if having a blood-red spot on your chest has anything to do with you being a girl, you might want to have a doctor check that out. If it's about being a person with a beating heart at about that spot, it's irrelevant that you're female. 🤔
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Ok but there's a cool/creepy/a bit unsettling story about (I think it was) these birds
Yes, basically, a dove brushed against one of Christ's open wounds from a Roman soldier's spear while he was being crucified,staining its white feathers red. So now all of these doves spot this red mark in honor of Jesus.
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City pigeons, a.k.a. rock doves look like this too, as babies... they're hidden away in their nests though, so no-one really sees them, unless they've somehow fallen, or been kicked, out. I met one last year, & saved it twice after its sibling booted it out, while squabbling for food.
Good name for it. Looks like a blue barb with an injury to me!
the red parts looks a bit unsettling, but the overall looks, the adult is better
House Martin
Hummingbird
Most of hummingbirds' functions happen too quickly for humans to even perceive: their wings flap at least 50 times per second, their heart rate is about 20 beats per second, and they can stick out and withdraw their tongues 20 times per second while feeding.
Pileated Woodpecker
Woodpeckers' disporportionately long tongues wrap around the skull, like a tape measure.
Golden Pheasant
Golden pheasants are native to the forests of China, but they've been imported and formed feral populations on every continent but Antarctica, because everyone wants some golden pheasants, I guess.
Gannet
Tit
Swan
Mallard Duck
We used to have Mallards around our campus river. I loved it during the spring because there'd be dozens of those little ducklings running around trying their best to keep up with mom....
Mississippi Kite
Grey Headed Albatross
Bald Eagle
Night Heron
Pigeon
White Tern
Gentoo Penguin
Flamingo
True story: they’re only pink because of canthaxanthin that they obtain from their diet of brine shrimp and blue-green algae.
Turkey
Note: this post originally had 57 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Fantastic gallery :D It's amazing how some of the birds change totally when grown up :D
Why the hell are there stupid sex spam posts everywhere??? Pleas fix them!
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ive encountered so many of these birds. guess im a chick magnet ;)
Bored panda please stop shortening the lists! If someone is bored mid list then they can move on but are missing out on so much if the list is shortened and don't click on the extra images!
"Note: this post originally had 57 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes." this is written after 30th photo. if you click on the "57 images" you can watch them all ;)
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Regardless what you may call all of them. They are all still dinosaurs, or what's left of them.
well, at least these birds can't eat people... (though some might eat people if there a chance of it)
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Some of these birds looks stunning, and there are many more out there this list did not mentions like kingfisher, painted bunting, blue grosbeak, summer tanager, rainbow lorikeet, galah cockatoo, red lory, crimson rosella, Hyacinth macaw, Quetzal, Hoopoe, Bird of Paradise, Lilac Breasted Roller, Splendid Fairywren, Anna’s hummingbird and more...
When God was handing out beauty he went overboard when he got to birds - they are all stunningly gorgeous!! <3
I raised Zebra finches for several years. New hatchlings are really not cute. They hatch completely helpless, blind, mostly naked, all mouth and (ahem) rear end. The pinfeather stage is so awkward for them - for most birds, really! I often wonder if the feathers itch as they break through, or hurt like teething in babies. I am personally still waiting to get beyond my pinfeather stage.
So I guess all birds are ugly ducklings really. Except the turkey. That thing is cuter as a baby.
I only hope to glo up as much as these birds after highschool, I look like a baby cockatoo
We have updated some due to your and other users' helpful comments! Unfortunately, the photographers got these birds quite mixed up which in the end mixed us up too since we're not bird experts. But thanks to you we got all of them right :)) (editor of the post)
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I learned an interesting fact about baby crows only because I photographed one; they have blue eyes.
I'm not quite sure why, but I find their faces deeply unsettling. 🤔
Load More Replies... Fantastic gallery :D It's amazing how some of the birds change totally when grown up :D
Why the hell are there stupid sex spam posts everywhere??? Pleas fix them!
Load More Replies... ive encountered so many of these birds. guess im a chick magnet ;)
Bored panda please stop shortening the lists! If someone is bored mid list then they can move on but are missing out on so much if the list is shortened and don't click on the extra images!
"Note: this post originally had 57 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes." this is written after 30th photo. if you click on the "57 images" you can watch them all ;)
Load More Replies... Regardless what you may call all of them. They are all still dinosaurs, or what's left of them.
well, at least these birds can't eat people... (though some might eat people if there a chance of it)
Load More Replies... Some of these birds looks stunning, and there are many more out there this list did not mentions like kingfisher, painted bunting, blue grosbeak, summer tanager, rainbow lorikeet, galah cockatoo, red lory, crimson rosella, Hyacinth macaw, Quetzal, Hoopoe, Bird of Paradise, Lilac Breasted Roller, Splendid Fairywren, Anna’s hummingbird and more...
When God was handing out beauty he went overboard when he got to birds - they are all stunningly gorgeous!! <3
I raised Zebra finches for several years. New hatchlings are really not cute. They hatch completely helpless, blind, mostly naked, all mouth and (ahem) rear end. The pinfeather stage is so awkward for them - for most birds, really! I often wonder if the feathers itch as they break through, or hurt like teething in babies. I am personally still waiting to get beyond my pinfeather stage.
So I guess all birds are ugly ducklings really. Except the turkey. That thing is cuter as a baby.
I only hope to glo up as much as these birds after highschool, I look like a baby cockatoo
We have updated some due to your and other users' helpful comments! Unfortunately, the photographers got these birds quite mixed up which in the end mixed us up too since we're not bird experts. But thanks to you we got all of them right :)) (editor of the post)
Load More Replies... I learned an interesting fact about baby crows only because I photographed one; they have blue eyes.
I'm not quite sure why, but I find their faces deeply unsettling. 🤔
Load More Replies...