Top 10 Birds with Crests

The crest (sometimes called crown) is a prominent feature on top of the head of some bird species.

Depending of the species, the feathers of these crests can move up and down or be permanently up - for example, the feathers in the crest of the grey crowned crane are always up whereas the crests of cockatoos and the hoopoe could be up or down.

Some bird crests are rarely seen displayed - for example, the royal flycatcher crest.

Crests are used for display purposes - to communicate with others and duting their courtship. Birds also display their crests when they are frightened or ready to fight because the birds appear larger than they really are when the crest is suddenly raised.

The Top Ten

1 Peacock

The peafowl include two Asiatic bird species (the blue or Indian peafowl originally of India and Sri Lanka and the green peafowl of Myanmar, Indochina, and Java) and one African species (the Congo peafowl native only to the Congo Basin) of bird in the genera Pavo and Afropavo of the Phasianidae family, ...read more.

2 Grey Crowned Crane

Native to Africa (it's the national bird of Uganda).
One of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen (only on a picture though). It has a crest of sparkling-gold feathers.

3 Golden Pheasant