In this article I’ll be going over 5 unique white birds that can be found in the state of West Virginia so continue reading for a more thorough breakdown of what these birds are below.

• Great Egret 
• White Breasted Nuthatch 
• Cattle Egret 
• Tundra Swan 
• American Herring Gull

5 White Birds In West Virginia

1. Great Egret (Ardea Alba)

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

You’ll be able to spot great egrets in West Virginia when they use the state as a migration passage. 

These 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 in all of West Virginia throughout the year. 

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

These cattle egrets can be found in West Virginia when they happen to be migrating. 

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. Tundra Swan (Cygnus Columbianus)

• Size: 120  – 147cm
• Weight: 3.8 – 10.5kg
• Wingspan: 160 – 175cm

Tundra swans can be found migrating throughout the state of West Virginia. 

These swans are recognised by their entirely white plumage, with black and yellow beaks. Male and female tundras look the same but, the bills of males will swell up in breeding season unlike the females.

You’ll often find these swans around near the coast. During migration and through the winter, they inhabit shallow lakes, slow-moving rivers, flooded fields, and coastal estuaries.

As tundra swans are herbivores, they will primarily eat roots, stems and leaves of aquatic vegetation, such as mannagrass, pondweeds, and even algae.

The average lifespan for these birds is around 10 years although this lower number is due to the various diseases these swans to suffer from. If a tundra swan is in good health throughout their lives, staying alive for 20 – 24 years isn’t too far off from what’s possible.

5. American Herring Gull (Larus Smithsonianus)

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

These herring gulls can be found in West Virginia when migrating through the state. 

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.