Top 10 Birds Named for Gemstones

This list combines two of my biggest passions - birds and gemstones.

How gem colors are related to bird colors and bird names?
- Emerald is always green (and birds with emerald in the name do have green)
- Ruby is always red, pinkish red or purplish red
- Amethyst is always purple / violet
- Turquoise is usually... turquoise (obviously), but the gem color can also be blue, blue-green, green
- Sapphire is associated with the color blue (though it occurs in many colors)
- Tourmaline is the most colorful gem and mineral in the world (so expect many colors)
The Top Ten
1 Sapphire-spangled Emerald

It's at #1 because there are 2 gems in the bird's name! (sapphire and emerald, blue and green, respectively). The bird's back is usually green but you can't see its back in this image.

This bird looks so cool! I would love it to have it as a pet.

2 Blue-Tailed Emerald

The color of its plumage is the color of the finest emeralds (green with a hint of blue)

3 Brazilian Ruby

Its throat has the color of pinkish ruby

4 Amethyst Woodstar

Amethyst color is purple and this bird has the color purple

5 Glittering-bellied Emerald
6 Diamond Dove

A tiny member of the pigeon family, native to Australia. Appreciated by Crwth the pigeon fancier.

Beautiful. The pale spots make it look like a sparkling diamond. Thanks for adding it, Crwth.

7 Asian Emerald Cuckoo
8 Rufous-throated Sapphire
9 Tourmaline Sunangel

It's a species of hummingbird found in Colombia and Ecuador. Tourmaline is the most colorful gem in the world and this bird is pretty colorful as well, although it isn't the most colorful bird in the world. But I get the idea of the bird's name - the layers of different colors look like the layers in a multi-colored tourmaline crystal (for example - elbaite crystal; elbaite is a tourmaline variety).

10 Fiery Topaz

Beautiful
I also like the turquoise and the tourmaline

The Contenders
11 Amethyst-throated Hummingbird

(aka amethyst-throated mountaingem. Yes, mountain gem). It lives in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

12 Turquoise-Browed Motmot

The name of the color turquoise comes from the color of the gem turquoise. The word turquoise means "Turkish" in French because the gem was imported from Turkey. The first recorded use of turquoise as a color name in English was in 1573.

13 Emerald Toucanet

A miniature toucan in green.

14 Glittering-throated Emerald
15 Crimson Topaz
16 Versicolored Emerald
17 White-chested Emerald
18 Andean Emerald

It's a species of hummingbird (its upper part of the body is green and its lower part - white).

19 Amethyst-throated Sunangel

It is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.

20 Western Emerald
21 Blue-chinned Sapphire
22 Berylline Hummingbird
23 Golden-tailed Sapphire
24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
25 Honduran Emerald
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