The stunning Wilson’s bird-of-paradise takes our top spot. The male sports more colours than any other species in the famously colourful bird-of-paradise family, and was only filmed for the first time in 1996 when David Attenborough went to New Guinea to film the BBC documentary, Attenborough in Paradise.

Its remarkably flattened, curly tail feathers resemble an elaborate hat that a lady might wear to the races, and reflects shades of blue as it moves in the light. It's a truly beautiful bird, especially during courtship when the male arranges his feather into an elaborate ornamentation.

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The world’s most beautiful birds, ranked