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Flags With Animals On Them

Q: Which country has a dragon on its flag?

Bhutan is the only sovereign country with a dragon on its national flag — the white Thunder Dragon, or Druk. Wales also famously has a red dragon, but Wales is not an independent country.

Q: What is the most common animal on national flags?

The eagle is the most common animal on national flags, appearing on the flags of Mexico, Albania, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Zambia and others. The lion is the second most common.

Q: Which flag has a snake on it?

Mexico's flag shows a golden eagle devouring a snake on a cactus, an image drawn from the Aztec founding legend of Tenochtitlan.

Q: Which national flag has a parrot on it?

Dominica's flag features a Sisserou parrot. It is also the only national flag in the world to include the colour purple.

Q: Is it a llama on the flag of Peru?

No — the animal on Peru's coat of arms is a vicuña, a wild relative of the llama and alpaca, chosen as a symbol of the country's fauna.

Only a minority of national flags feature a living creature — but the ones that do are among the most striking in the world. From Bhutan's thunder dragon to Mexico's eagle and snake, here is every national flag with an animal on it, grouped by creature. Some are impossible to miss; others hide inside a coat of arms.

🐉 Dragons

Just one sovereign nation flies a dragon — which makes it the rarest animal on this list.

Bhutan

The white Thunder Dragon, Druk, clutching jewels for prosperity — the only dragon on a sovereign flag.

🦅 Eagles

The eagle is the single most common animal in world flags — a symbol of power, freedom and vigilance.

Mexico

A golden eagle devouring a snake atop a cactus, from the Aztec founding legend of Tenochtitlan.

Albania

A black double-headed eagle, tied to the medieval national hero Skanderbeg.

Egypt

The golden Eagle of Saladin, a heraldic emblem used across the Arab world.

Montenegro

A crowned golden double-headed eagle holding an orb and sceptre.

Serbia

A white double-headed eagle on the national coat of arms.

Zambia

A soaring orange African fish eagle in the top corner.

Kazakhstan

A golden steppe eagle gliding beneath the sun.

Moldova

An eagle holding a cross, shield and olive branch in the coat of arms.

🦅 Condors

The Andean condor — one of the world's largest flying birds — crowns two South American flags.

Ecuador

A condor spreads its wings atop the national coat of arms.

Bolivia

A condor crowns the arms, with an alpaca standing in the shield below.

🦁 Lions

The second most common flag animal, a near-universal symbol of courage and royalty.

Sri Lanka

A golden lion gripping a sword — the famous "Lion Flag" of the Sinhalese people.

Spain

Heraldic lions and castles in the arms, for the old kingdoms of León and Castile.

Fiji

A golden British lion holds a cocoa pod at the top of Fiji's shield.

🦜 Other birds

Beyond eagles, national flags host some of the world's most exotic birds.

Papua New Guinea

A Raggiana bird of paradise in golden silhouette.

Guatemala

The resplendent quetzal, the national bird and a symbol of liberty.

Uganda

The grey crowned crane, one leg raised, in the central white disc.

Dominica

A Sisserou parrot — the only national flag on Earth to feature purple.

Kiribati

A golden frigatebird flies over a rising sun and ocean waves.

Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe Bird, a soapstone carving, perched on a red star.

🦙 Mammals & more

Rarest of all: the four-legged residents of the world's flags.

Peru

A vicuña — not a llama — on the state flag's coat of arms.

Andorra

Two red cattle from Béarn appear in a quarter of the arms.

Honourable mention: Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 — Y Ddraig Goch, the red dragon, is probably the most famous animal flag in the world. It isn't on our main list only because Wales is a constituent country of the United Kingdom rather than a sovereign state. See the flag →

A few things you might not have spotted

The eagle is comfortably the most common animal in world flags, with the lion in second place. Many flag animals live inside a coat of arms — so they're tiny and easy to overlook, as with Spain's lions or Moldova's eagle. And a handful of these creatures are unique to a single flag: only Mexico has the eagle-and-snake, only Dominica the parrot, and only Bhutan a dragon.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has a dragon on its flag?

Bhutan is the only sovereign country with a dragon on its flag — the white Thunder Dragon (Druk). Wales also has a red dragon, but it is not an independent country.

What is the most common animal on national flags?

The eagle, appearing on the flags of Mexico, Albania, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Zambia and more. The lion is second most common.

Which flag has a snake on it?

Mexico's — a golden eagle devouring a snake on a cactus, drawn from the Aztec founding legend of Tenochtitlan.

Which national flag has a parrot on it?

Dominica's, featuring a Sisserou parrot. It's also the only national flag to include the colour purple.

Is it a llama on the flag of Peru?

No — it's a vicuña, a wild relative of the llama and alpaca, on the state flag's coat of arms.

Related guides

Flag images via flagcdn.com. Many of these animals appear within a country's coat of arms rather than as the main design.