German researchers say the “most Instagrammable” family of birds are frogmouths – a group of 14 nocturnal species characterized by large eyes, flat, wide beaks and a frog-like opening. They occur in India, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Write in the journal i-PerceptionKatja Thömmes and Gregor Hayn-Leichsenring said the top showing the frog’s mouth “seems like a matter of poetic justice, as this nocturnal bird with very distinct facial features was once named ‘the world’s most unfortunate bird’.”
They rated photos featured on nine of the biggest bird accounts on Instagram and rated the aesthetic appeal of each image based on the number of “likes” they received from users. The study looked at 116 bird families that had at least 50 photos each.
Other bird families topping the list include the colorful pigeons, the emerald turacos, the distinctive crested and the brightly plumaged faeries.
At the bottom of the ranking were grebes, vultures, storks, oystercatchers and sandpipers.
In the following slideshow, we show the birds of the 15 most Instagrammable families ranked in the search. Photos are sourced from our Reader Galleries, Wikimedia Commons and the Shutterstock photo site.
1. Frog mouths
Frogmouths can be spotted throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. Tawny Frogmouths (pictured) are widespread in Australia.
Photo of Tawny Frogmouth by Susan Flashman/Shutterstock
A version of this article will appear in the July/August 2021 issue of BirdWatching magazine.
