In this article I’ll be going over 5 unique white birds that can be found all across the state of Arkansas so, continue reading to learn more about them.

• Great Egret 
• White Breasted Nuthatch
• Cattle Egret
• American Herring Gull
• American White Pelican

5 White Birds In Arkansas

1. Great Egret (Ardea Alba)

• Size: 80 -100cm
• Weight: 0.7 – 1.5kg
• Wingspan: 130 – 170cm

You’ll find great egrets all across Arkansas when they breed. This will typically be around the spring and summer months.

Great egrets are recognised by their extremely long necks, yellow bill, long black legs and mostly white plumage. Both males and females look very similar with the males being generally larger than the females.

Great egrets spend the majority of their time within marshes, ponds, shores and mud flats.

As for what they eat, it includes primarily consume fish along with crustaceans, amphibians, and small mammals. They will also forage around open areas.

Great egrets tend to live for around 15 years in the wild and around 22 years in captivity.

2. White Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta Carolinensis)

• Size: 13 – 14cm
• Weight: 18 – 30 grams
• Wingspan: 20 – 27cm

White breasted nuthatches can be found all throughout Arkansas on a year round basis.

These white breasted nuthatches are recognised by their gray back, wings and the upper head with white breast feathers. Females look the same as the males.

As for where you would find these white breasted nuthatches, it would be around mature woods and woodland edges, where they’re most commonly located by deciduous stands that have maple, hickory, basswood, oak and are even found in some coniferous forests.

They mostly consume nuts, seeds and insects, which can include hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and suet.

As for how long white breasted nuthatches live in the wild, it tends to be around 2 years with the longest lifespan recorded around 12 years.

3. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus Ibis)

• Size: 45 – 50cm
• Weight: 270 – 512 grams
• Wingspan: 82 – 95cm

You’ll find cattle egrets all across Arkansas throughout their breeding season. 

Cattle egrets are recognised by their mostly white plumages, with hints of orange around the head and chest, coupled with 2 yellow legs and a yellow beak. Females look very similar to the males but, are slightly smaller and have smaller breeding plumes than the opposite gender.

As for where you’ll be able to find these egrets, they will often reside by open habitats, wetlands, grasslands and woodlands generally following cattle around.

Cattle egrets generally tend to eat insects, worms, reptiles, frogs and mice.

In regards to lifespan, a cattle egret is known to live for around 10 years in the wild.

4. American Herring Gull (Larus Smithsonianus)

• Size: 60 – 67cm
• Weight: 1 – 1.5kg
• Wingspan: 120 – 160cm

These herring gulls can be found all across their fall and winter non-breeding months. 

American herring gulls are recognised by their gray wings, black tail feather, white feathers in the remainder of their body, yellow beak and reddish/orange legs. The females are typically a dirty light brown/gray color where it appears as if they’ve had mud sprayed across their feathers.

You’ll find these herring gulls around coasts and inland around rubbish tips, fields, large reservoirs and lakes.

In regards to what these gulls eat, it tends to be carrion, offal, seeds, fruits, young birds, eggs, small mammals, insects and fish.

American herring gulls are know to live for around 30 years on average, with the longest recorded hitting 49 years of age.

5. American White Pelican (Pelecanus Erythrorhynchos)

• Size: 130 – 160cm
• Weight: 6 – 6.5kg
• Wingspan: 260 – 290cm

American white pelicans will migrate through the majority of Arkansas bar the far northeastern part of the state. 

These pelicans can be recognised by their mostly white plumage and extremely large bills. Females look vey similar to the males.

You’ll often spot these birds around lakes and rivers.

As for what they eat, it includes mostly fish of the rough kind that humans don’t typically capture, smaller amphibians and crayfish.

Wild American white pelicans are known to live for around 16 year in the wild whilst captive ones are known to be around the 30 – 35 year range.