Most Beautiful Birds Meme

LauraHinNJ at Somewhere in NJ tagged me with the most beautiful bird meme. I understand that John over at DC Birding started this post. This is the first time that I’ve ever knowingly been tagged for a meme. It was quite a surprise!

Rules: Post a list of the 10 birds you consider most beautiful on your blog; you may limit the list to the ABA area (continental United States and Canada) or use a geographic area of your choice. Mark birds you have seen with an asterisk. Tag 3 bloggers to keep it going.

I decided to limit myself to birds I’ve actually seen in places where I’ve lived – DC, Maryland, Connecticut, England and Arizona. Even then, it was incredibly difficult to make choices, so I used the dartboard method to finalize the list.

Vermilion Flycatcher (US)*
Indigo Bunting (US)*
Inca Dove (US)*
Scarlet Tanager (US)*
Snowy Egret (US)*
Red-headed Woodpecker (US)*
Kestrel (UK)*
Common Kingfisher (UK)*
Chaffinch (UK)*
English Robin (UK)*

The bird I’d like most to see is a bird I fell in love with on pohanginapete’s blog: The Rifleman (Titipounamu), the smallest bird in New Zealand.

I'll tag Chiefbiscuit, Cynthia , Dread Pirate Roberts (when he comes back from his weekend break), plus anyone else who might enjoy doing this -- tai haku?, jimmy?. Have fun!