8 Most Poisonous Birds In The World

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19 April 2025

In the animal kingdom, only a handful of birds are known to be poisonous


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From hooded pitohui to European quail, here's a list of the 8 most poisonous birds in the world 


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The hooded pitohui of New Guinea is one of the few known poisonous birds. Its feathers and skin contain batrachotoxins, potent neurotoxins also found in poison dart frogs


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Another New Guinean resident, the little shrikethrush, carries batrachotoxinin-A in its skin and feathers


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The blue-capped ifrita, found in the mountain forests of New Guinea, harbours batrachotoxins in its feathers that it likely uses to deter predators 


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Closely related to the hooded pitohui, the northern variable pitohui also contains batrachotoxins


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The red warbler, native to Mexico, is another bird that carries toxins in its feathers


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The European quail, during certain times of the year, can carry coniine, a toxic alkaloid


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Similar to little shrikethrush, the rufous shrike-thrush contains batrachotoxinins that serve as a natural defence mechanism 


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Spur-winged goose, native to Africa, may ingest toxic blister beetles, making its flesh dangerous to eat 


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Image: Reuters 

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 ndtv.com