Shangyang

Shangyang had a pair of bony prongs on its breastbone called craniolateral processes, which helped attach a muscle used for flapping its wings down.2

Its upper jaw bones (premaxillae) were completely fused together, a rare feature in early birds from the Cretaceous.2

A nearly complete fossil of Shangyang found in 2025 had preserved feathers on its head crest, and scientists think they were red to deep blue and iridescent.1

Shangyang lived about 125 to 120 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous period.1

The name Shangyang comes from a mythical Chinese bird that was said to bring rain.1