100+ Wonderful Birds That Start With W: Info & Facts With Pictures

Learning about birds always leads to new, wonderful experiences, especially if you search for them alphabetically.

Whether these birds’ names start with B, U, H, or E, they have the ability to spark joy and imagination, helping you appreciate nature even more.

Knowing about bird names beginning with W is like entering a new chapter into the avian world.

It brings the opportunity to expand your knowledge and appreciate nature’s diversity while adding layers of intriguing facts to your bird-watching experience.

Getting to identify them might lead to some unexpected wildlife encounters that will take you on a mind-blowing journey.

So, let the “W” birds wow you with their stunning appearance as you go through the list of names we have curated just for you.

23 Birds Starting With W: A Journey Into The Avian World

“W”-lettered birds are known for several reasons, including special migrating abilities like Whimbrel, special behavior like the Warblers and Woodpeckers, and many more.

Hence, we have created a list of birds that start with W and their info, nesting facts, and images.

Commence scrolling and be buddies with your feathered companions, beginning with W.

8 Incredible Birds Beginning With W: Starting With The Word White

One of the most common terms in the names of birds beginning with W is “White.” So, if you want to learn about the birds starting with this specific letter, then you better familiarize yourselves with some of them.

Let’s start the discussion.

White-rumped Sandpiper

Source: @southshore_raptors

Similar to other shorebirds, the White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) exhibits aerial displays as part of their courtship ritual. Only after the females have laid eggs do the males stop their display and leave the breeding grounds.

Nesting Facts 

The female White-rumped Sandpiper is typically small-sized and builds cup-shaped nests in high arctic areas of the ground. The ends of the nests are lined with pieces of lichen, leaves, moss, etc.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Source: @unefilledanslebois

The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is known for being socially monogamous. They remain with their one and only partner till death. During the courtship display, the males bow to the females and often offer small pieces of food.

Nesting Facts 

This species lays creamy-white eggs that have reddish-brown spots all over them. The females are solely responsible for the incubation. However, in the case of feeding the nestlings, the responsibility lies on both parents.

White-headed Woodpecker

Source: @krobertsdesign

The White-headed Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus albolarvatus) produces drumming noises to mark their nesting territories. Usually, the pairs are monogamous and stay with their mating partner year-round.

Nesting Facts 

Typically, the nest site of the White-headed Woodpecker is selected by the male. It prefers the dead conifer or the dead portion of the conifer to construct its nest. Moreover, it creates these nests at least 2.4 meters above the ground.

White-winged Scoter

Source: @kris.cu

The White-winged Scoters (Melanitta deglandi), a large-sized sea duck species, prefer staying monogamous and creating long-term mating bonds. They form these pairs during late summer and breed near large lakes and marshes.

Nesting Facts 

This species builds their nests on the ground, especially near water sources such as sea, lakes, rivers, and occasionally near woodlands or tundra. The eggs are usually pinkish. The males tend to stay with their mating partners throughout the egg-laying process.

White-winged Dove

Source: @rositin60

The White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) acts with hostility while defending its territory, especially the males. The males circle around the females and flap their tails or coo and preen as part of their courtship display.

Nesting Facts 

This species prefers constructing nests in mesquite or tamarix trees. The peak time for breeding season differs according to their inhabiting regions. Males typically attend to the nests during the day, and during the night, females attend the nest.

White-eyed Vireo

Source: @thesciencerock

Both male and female species of the White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) sing in a short, rapid six to seven-note phrase on their wintering grounds. However, on the breeding grounds, only the males produce songs.

Nesting Facts 

This species constructs its neatly cup-shaped nests lined with grasses. Afterward, it attaches the nest using spider webs to a fork on the tree branches. The eggs of the White-eyed Vireo have white speckles all over them.

  White-throated Swift

Source: @tomjohnsonbirds

The White-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis) creates monogamous pairs and performs different types of displays during its courtship season. The displays include gliding and plummeting courtship falls.

Nesting Facts

After establishing the breeding pair, this species builds its nest on rocky cliff faces or human-made structures. It uses different plant materials and feathers to create its nest and uses saliva to strengthen and hold the nest together.

White-rumped Whimbrel

Source: @shinsuke.kikuchi.73

The White-rumped Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), commonly known as the Eurasian Whimbrel, has a diverse breeding range. The areas ranging from subarctic Asia and Europe to Scotland are part of their breeding zone.

Nesting Facts 

This species sets up its nest on tundra or Arctic moorland. It looks like a bare scrap rather than a neatly constructed one. Both adult males and females defend their nesting areas aggressively and go so far as to attack humans if they come too close to the nest.

5 Stunning Birds Starting With W: The Word Western In Front

In addition to the term “White,” there are fascinating birds that start with the term “Western.”

In this section, we will help you get acquainted with some of them.

Western Bluebird

Source: @geologicadventures

The Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) rely on other birds to create their nest holes. Their beaks are relatively small and weak enough to construct any form of holes. Hence, they follow woodpeckers and nest in their cavities.

Nesting Facts

This species gets attacked because of their choice of nesting sites. In addition to tree cavities, the Western Bluebird prefers nesting in nest boxes, also preferred by tree swallows, house sparrows, and European starlings. As a consequence, they get attacked in groups or alone.

  Western Grebe

Source: @dick_cissel

The Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) prefers creating colonies of hundreds during their nesting season. The colonies are usually near large inland lakes and coastal marshes of western North America.

Nesting Facts 

The clutch size of the Western Grebe depends on the mating season. With seasonal progress, the size tends to decrease. It means if the breeding pairs mate during the end of the mating season, then there’s a high possibility that the number of nestlings will be smaller.

Western Tanager

Source: @thevikingbirder

The breeding season of the Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) begins in May and lasts till July. Typically, birds that are two years or older participate in this session. Occasionally, some first-year breeders might also join.

Nesting Facts 

The female Western Tanager builds cup-shaped nests with twigs, rootlets, grasses, and pine needles. They lay one egg per day that is blue or bluish-green in color.

Western Screech-owl

Source: @ruth.peter.bangayan

The Western Screech-owl (Megascops kennicottii) usually opts for open woods or mixed woods near forest edges as their breeding site. As a courtship ritual, the males produce calls and offer food to the females.

Nesting Facts 

This species prefers living in cavities of trees, banks, or cliffs rather than staying in the traditional, regular nests. They are more inclined toward oak, willow, cottonwood, and cacti for forming their cavities. These cavities are typically created by natural causes or because of some other cavity-creating birds and are found by the male owl.

Western Sandpiper

Source: @samis.photo

The breeding habitat of the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is the tundra in Eastern Siberia and Alaska. Both parents take turns incubating and caring for the nestlings while they consume their food on their own.

Nesting Facts 

Typically, the males select several scraps as their nest, and the females choose one of them to lay their eggs. The nests are usually on the ground, covered in some vegetation.

10 Other Mesmerizing Birds That Start With W

Apart from birds starting with “White” or “Western,” there are some dazzling bird species that start with W.

Let’s discuss a little more about them in this segment.

Wood Duck

Source: @birding_ani

The Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) select wooded swamps, shallow lakes, marshes, and ponds as their breeding habitat. They nest in cavities and nest boxes near water sources.

Nesting Facts 

Sometimes, the female Wood Ducks tend to lay eggs in their neighboring nests if they are put too close together. It leads to more than enough eggs in their nests and unsuccessful incubation, also known as “nest dumping.”

Willet

Source: @capturasnaturalezard

For nesting habitat, the Willets (Tringa semipalmata) opt for grasses near water sources, salt marshes, and sand dunes. The females put grasses all over the nest to create a camouflage to protect the nest when it is built near grasslands.

Nesting Facts 

One of the most fascinating aspects about the Willet is how they select their nesting sites. The males will create trial nest scraps in their nesting territories and take the females to select the one that suits them the most. The birds use their feet to scrap out and build their nests.

Wild Turkey

Source: @neatness_in_nature

The male Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are polygamous and exhibit courtship displays to attract as many females as they can. This display typically begins during March and April.

Nesting Facts 

The females usually search for nesting sites after the mating season is over. The nests are covered in woody vegetation created in a hollow full of dirt.

Wandering Albatross

Source: @antarcticlegacysa

The Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) is monogamous and mates for life. This species breeds every other year in loose colonies of the Southern Ocean.

Nesting Facts 

This species creates a large bowl-sized nest with grassy vegetation and soil peat. It lays one white egg with a few freckles between 10 December and 5 January. Their incubation period is one of the longest ones among any bird species, and both parents help in this case.

Wandering Tattler

Source: @hawaiian.plants

The Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) performs various courtship displays as soon as they arrive on the breeding grounds. They create elaborate flight displays to attract a mate, which are uncommon for a shorebird species.

Nesting Facts 

The females lay their eggs in shallow depressions. The eggs are typically olive-colored, and both parents help incubate them. They also help feed the younglings.

Willow Ptarmigan

Source: @kamalakylephotography

The Willow Ptarmigans (Lagopus lagopus) are popular for their intense territorial behavior, especially the males. They arrive on the breeding ground and defend them as soon as they set up their territory. They are mostly monogamous, and on rare occasions, some males are polygynous.

Nesting Facts 

The females arrive on the breeding ground a few weeks later than the males and are welcomed by various courtship displays performed by the males. Afterward, they choose a mating partner and nesting site that are usually hidden from clear sight.

Wood Stork

Source: @sbkroll_photography

The Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) is typically a resident breeder. They build their nests on trees near lowland wetlands and freshwater habitats.

Nesting Facts 

This species creates nests in colonies and can build up to 25 nests in a single tree. The males usually participate in nest building and use sticks and green twigs from their surroundings. They build these nests following a specific strategy where each item is used for a specific reason.

Waxwing

Source: @jorkki45

The Waxwings belong to the Bombycila genus and have three species. The three species are- the Bohemian Waxwing (B. garrulus), the Japanese Waxwing (B. japonica), and the Cedar Waxwing (B. cedrorum). Among them, the Bohemian Waxwing is the most common one.

Nesting Facts 

The nesting sites for this species are chosen based on the food availability around the area. Their mating ritual also includes food. The males and females pass on a fruit until one of them eats it, and then they begin their copulation.

Wilson’s Plover

Source: @shopsleepyseahorse

The Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) pairs up with their mating partners and then arrives on their breeding grounds. The males create nest scraps to attract the females and perform courtship displays when the females come across one of the scraps.

Nesting Facts 

The color of the eggs of Wilson’s Plover shows a range from cream to buff. They are heavily spotted in black, dark brown, or gray color.

 Williamson’s Sapsucker

Source: @spbandana__leslie

The breeding habitat of the Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) is in open forested areas. It usually prefers the forest with ponderosa pine, conifers, douglas-fir, Subalpine fir and western larch trees.

Nesting Facts 

This species does not use the same nest cavity twice but might use the same tree for their new home. It excavates a new hole every year.

    78 Extraordinary Bird Species Name That Starts With W

Several other bird species need recognition for having names that start with the letter W.

Hence, we have curated a list of birds that you can check out if you want to know more about birds that start with W.

FAQ

This part of the article is about the faqs related to birds that start with W. Let’s get on with it!

Q: What is a 4-letter bird that starts with W?

Ans: Several 4-letter bird species start with W. Among them, the most popular ones are the Wren and Weka.

Q: What is a bird that starts with W 7 letters?

Ans: The 7-letter birds that begin with W are- Waxbill, Waxwing, Weebill,  Wrentit, and many more.

Thoughts

Whether you are actually a bird enthusiast or want to know about birds that start with “W” out of curiosity and as an excuse to have more outdoor activities, these particular species can turn into your own treasure hunt full of extraordinary surprises.

Among the listed species, you can find fascinating small bird species with long beaks, birds with stunning crowns,  and many more.

More importantly, bird watching is not always about learning something new. It’s also about appreciating nature and its diversity. Learning the names in an alphabetic order adds to your bird-spotting victory, helping you to keep track of your bird trivia.

Getting to know them is like stepping into a whole other dimension of wonderful creatures right in your own backyard or local park.

Moreover, if you are into wildlife photography, then birds starting with W can turn into an excellent subject. Capturing the beauty of these species can feel fulfilling and immensely satisfying.

Happy Birding, everyone!