9 Countries that have Birds on their National Flags

There are many countries that have birds on their national flags. It is one of the most represented animals in this important symbol.

The eagle is the most usual bird on the flags. As an animal that stands out for its strength, it works as an icon for many fatherlands such as Zambia, Egypt, Kazakhstan or Mexico.

However, we can find more “docile” birds like the Imperial Parrot (Dominica) or the Quetzal (Guatemala). There are also other nations like Albania, Serbia or Montenegro that use birds but with a difference: they are mythological.

Countries with Birds on their National Flags

1 | Albania – Double-headed Eagle

As we commented previously, some countries use mythological animals as a national symbol. In Albania, the presence of the eagle in the flag is totally justified because Albania means “the Land of the Eagles”.

The double headed Eagle is a symbol that originates from the time of the Byzantines, being the insignia of other countries such as Montenegro and Serbia.

2 | Dominica – Imperial Parrot

The Imperial Amazon is the national symbol of Dominica as an animal endemic to this Caribbean island. It is known as Sisserou Parrot in its country of origin and, unfortunately, it is a bird in danger of extinction.

The flag was adopted in 1978 and, at its origin, the parrot veered to the right. The change of position of the bird was carried out in 1988.

3 | Ecuador – Condor of the Andes

The flag of Ecuador included the condor with wings deployed in 1900, is a key element to distinguish this flag from Colombia, both flags share colors.

The Vultur Gryphus is one of the most impressive birds on the planet because of its size. It can reach 300 cm in size, and it may weight more than 15 kilos.

4 | Guatemala-Quetzal

The “Divine Bird” for pre-Columbian natives is part of the flag of the Central American country along with a parchment indicating the date of independence.

The Quetzals are known scientifically as Pharomachrus, being a beautiful bird that tends to live in mountainous jungles and humid places.

5 | Kiribati – Frigate

The frigate (Frigatebird) is part of the Kiribati flag, an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean.

It is a very particular bird because of its physiognomy. It outstands because of its size and its skill in flying over the sea. Its crop is another great attraction of this species, swelling as if it was a red balloon to attract the females.

6 | Papua New Guinea – Bird of Paradise Raggiana

It is known as Kumul (Paradisaea Raggiana) is the national bird of this conglomerate of islands of Oceania.

Its importance goes beyond the political issues; its name was also given to the national rugby team. Unfortunately, it is a threatened bird that is on the IUCN Red List.

7 | Uganda – Royal Grey Crane

It is a native bird from the Uganda mountains, the Royal Grey Crane (Balearica regulorum) appears on the flag of the African country since it was a British protectorate (1914).

It is a large bird that stands out for the variety of colors on its feathers. In addition, it does not present sexual dimorphism.

8 | Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe Bird

The South African country has as its shield a famous 11TH century stone carving among the ruins of Great Zimbabwe.

This sculpture has appeared on national flags since 1980 and during the existence of the ancient South Rhodesia from 1964.

9 | Mexico and other Countries – Eagle

There are several countries that have as a national symbol the eagle, each one with different species. Perhaps the most famous is the Mexican eagle devouring a serpent, being the pride of the Central American nation.

Other countries that also have as emblem some kind of eagle are:

10 | Zambia and the African Fishing Eagle.

11 | Egypt and the Saladin Eagle.

12 | Kazakhstan and the Steppe eagle.

All the images of the flags have been extracted from wikipedia.org.

Remember that in BBI Laboratories we specialize in DNA sexing and bird disease detection. You can also follow us on our main social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) where we share relevant information about our activity and the world of birds. We also works on fitopathology, working in discover what the plants needs.