In this article I’ll be going over 5 unique white birds that can be found throughout Wisconsin so, continue reading if you want a more detailed look are each bird below.

• Snowy Egret
• Snowy Owl 
• Great Egret 
• White Breasted Nuthatch 
• Tundra Swan 

5 White Birds In Wisconsin

1. Snowy Egret (Egretta Thula)

• Size: 56 – 66cm
• Weight: 350 – 390 grams
• Wingspan: 95 – 105cm

You can spot snowy egrets in southern Wisconsin when they migrate through the state along with the odd few vagrants scattered throughout the state.

Snowy egrets as their name would suggest are snow white birds with a long neck, black beak, black legs whilst also having a relatively large frame. Besides their sexual organs the only differentiating factors between males and females are that the males are slightly larger.

You’ll find these egrets by mudflats, beaches, and wetlands, but you can also see them forage in wet agricultural fields and along the edges of rivers and lakes. 

Snowy egrets eat a variety of foods from fish, insects, crustaceans which includes crabs, crayfish, frogs, snakes, snails, worms, lizards, rodents and more.

These egrets are known to live for around 5 – 6 years in the wild and upwards of 16 years in captivity.

2. Snowy Owl (Bubo Scandiacus)

• Size: 52 – 71cm
• Weight: 1.1 – 2kg
• Wingspan: 125 – 164cm

Snowy owls can be found all throughout Wisconsin in their non-breeding fall and winter months. 

These owls are recognised by their mostly white plumage with brown dots throughout the body. Females on the other hand are generally less white than the males as the brown spots encompass more of their body.

Snowy owls tend to spend their time within arctic tundra or open grasslands and fields, whilst avoiding forested areas. 

As for what they eat, it includes lemmings and a variety of small mammals. Nevertheless, they will still occasionally eat larger mammals like like hares, rats, rabbits, etc.

Snowy owls have been observed to live for around 28 years in captivity and between 10+ years in the wild.

3. Great Egret (Ardea Alba)

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

You’ll be able to spot great egrets in the western part of Wisconsin when breeding and the southeast region of the state when migrating.

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.

4. White Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta Carolinensis)

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

White breasted nuthatches can be found in all of Wisconsin 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.

5. Tundra Swan (Cygnus Columbianus)

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

Tundra swans can be found all across Wisconsin when they happen to migrate through it.

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.