Have you been searching for the perfect list of birds to go through for your special Hawaii visit? Then you can start by detecting all the white ones as white birds’ meanings are usually associated with signs of something positive.
Hawaii is known for possessing a wide array of species and it is not lagging behind with its variety of white birds. The versatile range of white bird species is enough to make bird enthusiasts, photographers, and even non-enthusiasts get interested.
The birds we are about to introduce to you in this article are not all pure white and might have some black or red wings or some other spots and crowns on them. But they are predominantly white which is why we have chosen them.
So scroll through the list and decide which one is the whitest and your favorite.
21 Graceful White Birds In Hawaii
White birds hold a special place in our hearts whether you spot them in Hawaii or not. Their beauty and fascinating characteristics have been inspiring us for centuries.
However, as this article is based on the white birds in Hawaii only, we will stop our admiration for white birds in general and get you acquainted with the ones in Hawaii.
Masked Booby
Source: passrod9_
- Scientific Name: Sula dactylatra
- Size: 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in)
- Locality: Tropical Oceans Between the 30th Parallel North and the 30th Parallel South.
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: All year round
The Masked Bobby also known as the Masked Gannet is famed for its versatile display regarding pair bonding. These displays include sky-pointing, gazing display, jabbing display, oblique head shake, etc.
During sky-pointing, the males point their wings at a specific angle and point at the sky. The gazing display leads to other displays such as jabbing displays, allopreening, etc. As per its name, the oblique head shake requires a bird to shake its head aggressively. In these various ways, they start their bonding and breed all year round throughout their range.
Dietary Habits
The Masked Booby primarily prefers to eat fish. Hence, they dive and plunge into the ocean at high speed and catch their preferred fish while swallowing it underwater. Sometimes they pair up with other species such as White-Bellied Storm Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel, etc while foraging. Occasionally they even get harassed by other species and they steal their food.
White Tern
Source: @daisygilardini
- Scientific Name: Gygis alba
- Size: 76 to 87 cm (30 to 34 in)
- Locality: Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Between February and June
The Terns are known for their nesting on the ground. However, one of the most fascinating characteristics of the White Tern is its habit of breeding on bare thin branches which is quite unusual. It doesn’t even make a nest for laying eggs. This habit is due to the attack of nest parasites which can even make an entire colony abandon their nests.
Dietary Habits
Primarily this species forages on small fish and squids. They have various foraging methods. Sometimes they hover around or dive to get their food. Other times they can be seen catching flying fish while they are still in the air. Moreover, their dietary requirements include crustaceans, planktons, etc as well.
Cattle Egret
Source: @kaoru8739
- Scientific Name: Bubulcus ibis
- Size: 46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 in)
- Locality: Southern Spain and Portugal, Africa, and Asia
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: March to July
If you are in search of a Cattle Egret, then you can easily spot them by just knowing their range and habit. They are easy to detect as they nest in colonies around various water bodies. The water bodies include swamps, forests near lakes or rivers, coastal islands, etc. For mating, the males display their ritual to attract the females while residing in the colony.
Dietary Habits
This species is known for its dietary preference for a wide range of prey including different insects, worms, small snakes, frogs, etc. On rare occasions, they even feed on ripe figs. In urban areas, they usually forage around railways, and in other spaces, they can be spotted catching their prey that gets disturbed by other more enormous creatures. In this method, they forage more successfully.
Red-Tailed Tropicbird
Source: @thenauticalwarlock
- Scientific Name: Phaethon rubricauda
- Size: 95 to 104 cm (37 to 41 in)
- Locality: The Indian and Pacific Oceans
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: All year round
One of the most remarkable behavioral features of the Red-Tailed Tropicbird is how they decide on their mates. Almost similar to human culture, they too have their own beauty standards. They base their mating choice on the length of a bird’s tail streamers. The longer the tail streamer the more it is perceived as an attractive mate. Interestingly, the mating partners usually have tail streamers of equal length.
Dietary Habits
The most noticeable foraging technique of this species is diving. They can dive from up to almost 50 meters and into a depth of about 4.5 meters. However, this distance may change seasonally. They prefer to swallow their food underwater and can submerge themselves for almost half a minute.
White-Tailed Tropicbird
Source: @timjdunn
- Scientific Name: Phaethon lepturus
- Size: 71 to 80 cm (28 to 31.5 in)
- Locality: Atlantic, Western Pacific, and Indian Oceans
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: All year round
One of the most interesting aspects of the White-Tailed Tropicbird is its association with folklore. The ancient Chamorro people called this species utak or itak. It mostly had negative connotations. It was believed that this bird’s calling if heard while inside the house means that someone in that house is about to die. Moreover, it was also believed that their callings are responsible for the killings of people who didn’t believe in the existence of this bird.
Dietary Habits
Despite being a poor swimmer, the White-Tailed Tropicbird is known to feed on various kinds of fish. Primarily this species prefers to feed on flying fish, squid, and crabs. The White-Tailed Tropicbird employs different kinds of strategies including diving, aerial hunting, or hovering above the prey. They can dive from up to 20 meters, catch flying fish while in flight as well as detect prey while hovering, and swallow while still in flight.
Short-Tailed Albatross
Source: @taiwanbirding_bc
- Scientific Name: Phoebastria albatrus
- Size: 84 to 94 cm (33 to 37 in)
- Locality: North Pacific
- Status: Vulnerable
- Breeding Season: Late October to Late November
As the Short-Tailed Albatross has been listed as a “vulnerable” species by the IUCN, they do not have much information. What we do know is that this species prefers to nest in open regions near grass strands. It starts breeding at the age of 10 years and lays its whitish eggs that have distinct red spots. After successfully laying them, both males and females incubate them together.
Dietary Habits
The specified species is extremely well adapted for their oceanic lifestyle and can feed on their preferred species whenever they want. They can even travel long distances in search of their favored food. This skilled species primarily feeds on various species of fish, squid, small marine organisms, etc. Occasionally they follow ships to feed on discarded offals as well.
Black-Necked Stilt
Source: @edreybelmar
- Scientific Name: Himantopus mexicanus
- Size: 35 to 39 cm (13.8 to 15.3 in)
- Locality: California, Western United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Brazil, Peru, and the Galápagos Islands, Hawaii
- Status: Not Extinct
- Breeding Season: April to August
The Black-Necked Stilt is famed for its unique occasional display against predators. This is known as a “popcorn display”. To perform this particular act, at first, they all gather around the predator which is on the ground and has come to attack their nest. Then they all aggressively jump, hop and flap around it to get it as further as they possibly can.
Dietary Habits
The dietary habits of this species can vary based on food availability. Primarily it feeds on various crustaceans, different flies and worms, small fish, tadpoles, aquatic insects and their larvae, aquatic invertebrates, etc. The Black-Necked Stilt rarely forages on plants. This species usually prefers salt ponds, lakeshores, flooded fields, etc.
Hawaiian Petrel
Source: @evileyelander
- Scientific Name: Pterodroma sandwichensis
- Size: 40.6 cm (16 in)
- Locality: Hawaii
- Status: Endangered
- Breeding Season: March to October
The Hawaiian Stilt also known as ʻuaʻu has been facing a loss of habitat and a decline in number for a lot of reasons. These reasons primarily include urban development and predation of various species. The younglings are in threat of predators like feral cats, small Asian Mongoose, rats, etc. These predators prey on the helpless weak chicks attacking them in their own burrows.
Dietary Habits
The Hawaiian Petrel is familiar with its regurgitation process. The females usually lay only one egg. After incubation and successful hatching, both parents help each other to feed the nestlings. During the day, both of them go to the sea feeding on squids, fish, and crustaceans. Then they bring the food at night and feed their younglings through the regurgitation process.
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Source: @xaviidigora
- Scientific Name: Nycticorax nycticorax
- Size: 58 to 66 cm (22.8 to 26.0 in)
- Locality: Almost all parts of the world
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Between February and July
The Black-Crowned Night Heron, a medium-sized heron, is one of the widely spread species. Rather than the adults, the younglings are more famed for their defense mechanisms. To save themselves from predators and cause distraction, they vomit up all of their content.
Dietary Habits
The Black-Crowned Night Heron, a medium-sized heron species, is known for hunting behavior. This species usually hunts at night or early morning. It forages on different sorts of worms, fish, squid, frogs, etc. As their prey is mainly found near water, hence, they wait for their prey near the water’s edge motionlessly and then ambush them. They showcase their tool use as well for foraging. The Black-Crowned Night Heron baits, lures, and distracts their prey by tossing various objects into the water. This type of tool use is quite rare among birds.
Northern Mockingbird
Source: @tompuma
- Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos
- Size: 20.5 to 28 cm (8.1 to 11.0 in)
- Locality: North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Spring and Early Summer
The Northern Mockingbird is celebrated among bird watchers, especially for the males’ boundary dance which is basically a territorial behavior employed to ward off other males. This type of dance requires the males to engage in a dance-off till one of them retreats and flies away admitting defeat. The males employ a series of courtship displays to attract females as well. Sometimes they might engage in fights to exhibit the beauty of their wings as well.
Dietary Habits
Being an omnivorous species, the Northern Mockingbird feeds on a wide range of arthropods including spiders, ants, beetles, etc, as well as various berries and fruits. On rare occasions, they have been spotted feeding on small crustaceans and lizards as well. This species drinks from puddles, rivers, etc and saps from the cuts of trees as well.
Little Tern
Source: @ashiya_wako
- Scientific Name: Sternula albifrons
- Size: 21 to 25 cm (8.2 to 9.8 in)
- Locality: Europe and Asia
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Between May and July
Despite having the term “little” in the name, the Little Tern does not behave like a little bird. Similar to birds of its species, it is territorial and can become hostile while being attacked. This species aggressively attacks and chases away its predators with striking aerial displays and aggressive flight maneuvers. The Little Tern wards them off while protecting its nest and younglings.
Dietary Habits
The Little Tern’s foraging technique is similar to most other Tern bird species. They catch their fish by plunge-diving into deep water. Usually, they prefer foraging in saline environments, but they can be found in other water areas as well. Sometimes the males use their foraging technique as a courtship display to attract the female. In this case, they offer the fish they caught to impress the females.
Red-Footed Booby
Source: @dan_drk
- Scientific Name: Sula sula
- Size: 70 cm (28 in)
- Locality: The Caribbean Sea, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and Seas North of Australia
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: All through the year
The Red-Footed Booby is the smallest among its booby and gannet family. This small and adorable species is known for its elaborate courtship displays. They perform various greeting rituals including harsh squawks, and short dances while exhibiting the blue throat of the males, etc. In spite of exhibiting such displays, this species is not monogamous. However, they have been recorded to stay and brood together for a long time.
Dietary Habits
This species is known for going at the type of fish or species that gathers near the water surfaces. The Red-Footed Booby prefers to feed on various kinds of small fish, especially flying fish or squid. It attacks its prey at high speed while diving into the ocean. Most of the time they are successful as their preys gather in groups at their feeding range.
Sanderling
Source: @jurrienjan
- Scientific Name: Calidris alba
- Size: 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in)
- Locality: Arctic
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Between Late May to Early August
Sanderling, a small and delightful wading bird, is familiar among bird enthusiasts for their mating system. In general, the species prefers forming monogamous pairs. However, they may also exhibit polyandrous tendencies where one female gets paired with two males. Their mating system can vary depending on their regions and even seasons. During the breeding season, the males aggressively defend their nest and territories.
Dietary Habits
This species is famous for its habit of foraging around upper intertidal zones. Their diet usually consists of prey that are buried deep into the sand such as various kinds of isopods, mole crabs, crustaceans, etc. When the tide comes in they feed on different types of plankton washed over by the ocean and when the water retreats, they again go back to feeding on their most favored isopods.
Bufflehead
Source: @lando_the_magnificent
- Scientific Name: Bucephala albeola
- Size: 32 to 40 cm (13 to 16 in)
- Locality: North America and the Southern United States
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Late Winter to Early April
The Bufflehead, a small and highly active species, is known for its nesting and breeding behavior. For nesting, this species exclusively chooses tree cavities made by the Northern Flicker, a Woodpecker. In the case of breeding, it is famed for being a monogamous bird, unlike other duck species. Moreover, it is known as one of the most punctual migrating birds as they arrive and leave the breeding grounds following almost the same routine every time.
Dietary Habits
The dietary preference of this species varies depending on the kind of water it forages on. Usually, it dives underwater in search of its food. Now if they go foraging in saltwater regions, then they feed on crustaceans or mollusks, and if they go in freshwater they usually search for various insects. Moreover, they feed on aquatic plants and fish eggs as well.
Semipalmated Plover
Source: @ceciliojr73rj
- Scientific Name: Charadrius semipalmatus
- Size: 14 to 20 cm (5.5 to 7.9 in)
- Locality: Northern Canada and Alaska
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Between March and August
The Semipalmated Plover, a small plover species, is known for their surprising breeding range. Usually, this species breeds on open grounds like beaches or flats. As their breeding range is spotted in remote regions of the Arctic, they are expected to avoid spaces around human habitations. However, on rare occasions, they have been detected nesting on roofs, large open buildings, active gravel runaways, etc.
Dietary Habits
Being an opportunistic species, this species feeds on a wide range of food. Their diet includes larvae of different types of flies, shore flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, spiders, crustaceans, and various types of worms as well. Sometimes they have been spotted feeding on berries and seeds as well.
Franklin’s Gull
Source: @avesdecddelcarmen
- Scientific Name: Leucophaeus pipixcan
- Size: 32 to 36 cm (12.6–14.2 in)
- Locality: Canada and the Northern United States
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Spring
The Franklin’s Gull is famously known for its high-maintenance nesting behavior. This species makes a floating nest that requires maintenance every 1-2 weeks. It is mostly because the surface of the nest starts to decay and gradually sinks. Hence, both parents need to keep adding materials to it once in a while to make sure it stays afloat. As the chicks get older, they also help in providing these materials that are usually close to their vicinity.
Dietary Habits
Similar to most other gull species, Franklin’s Gull is known for being an omnivorous species. Sometimes they can be spotted scavenging as well while preying on small insects. They usually prefer foraging around in groups while looking for insect hatch to feed on. It prefers to float around a particular distance and return to the same area repeatedly for food.
Ring-Billed Gull
Source: @guidospek_photography
- Scientific Name: Larus delawarensis
- Size: 43 to 54 cm (16.9-21.3 in )
- Locality: Canada and the Northern United States
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Between May and August
One of the most interesting facts about the Ring-Billed Gull is its ability to navigate almost accurately as if they have a built-in compass. The migratory species use this particular compass and go in the appropriate direction almost every fall without fail. They have a preference for magnetic bearings as well as high-altitude wind and landmarks to find their way while migrating.
Dietary Habits
Being an omnivorous species, the Red-Billed Gulls get their food by employing different methods. They can pick up their food while on flight, swimming, walking, or even wading. The opportunistic species can be regarded as a pest by both birds of other species and humans as they steal food from both. It frequently visits places with lots of crowds such as beaches, marinas, docks, and parks, where they eat unattended food or get hand-fed.
European Herring Gull
Source: @lafillefreespirit
- Scientific Name: Larus argentatus
- Size: 60 to 67 cm (24 to 26 in)
- Locality: Western Europe
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April to June
The European Herring Gull is familiar among gull enthusiasts for possessing a loose pecking order which is basically a social hierarchy among their species. This hierarchy depends on a lot of aspects such as size, aggressiveness, physical strength, etc. Adult males possess a hierarchy over females and juveniles in cases like feeding or defending boundaries. The females, on the other hand, possess a hierarchy over choosing suitable nesting sites.
Dietary Habits
Being an opportunistic and omnivorous species, the European Herring Gull has a wide array of food preferences. Unlike its name, it usually prefers small prey, echinoderms, crustaceans, etc. Sometimes they can be spotted stealing from other species as well. Moreover, occasionally they use different types of bait to catch goldfish.
Arctic Tern
Source: @ophelie_la
- Scientific Name: Sterna paradisaea
- Size: 33 to 36 cm (13 to 14 in)
- Locality: Almost all around the world
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Summer
The Arctic Tern is celebrated for its ability to migrate long distances. Being a medium-sized bird, this species is known for possessing the record of being the longest migratory species among not only the birds but the whole animal kingdom. One of the species made a 60,000-mile trip in their migratory range which is almost twice the circumference of the earth.
Dietary Habits
Predominantly carnivorous, the dietary requirements of this species vary depending on particular time and location. They prefer preying on immature species such as herring, cod, sand lances, and capelin, as well as amphipods, crabs, krill, small fish, etc. Occasionally they feed on mollusks, marine worms, berries, and insects as well.
Red-Crested Cardinal
Source: @kuwaitzoo
- Scientific Name: Paroaria coronata
- Size: 19 cm (7.5 in)
- Locality: Brazil, the Southern part of the Pantanal, Northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Early October to Late February
Rather than a white body, the Red-Crested Cardinal is known for its vibrant red-colored crest as per its name. Moreover, their whole head and bib are covered in vivid red like their crest. When this species gets excited, it raises its stunning crest making all the bird enthusiasts and photographers excited as well. Its bold and striking appearance makes it a kid’s favorite as well.
Dietary Habits
The Red-Crested Cardinal can be easily spotted foraging around on the ground. They are rarely found looking for food alone or in large flocks. They prefer to search for food in pairs or small groups. Their diet heavily includes seeds, fruits, insects, and small arthropods.
Hawaiian Stilt
Source: @lourdesv.photography
- Scientific Name: Himantopus mexicanus knudseni
- Size: 38 cm (15 in)
- Locality: Hawaii
- Status: Imperiled
- Breeding Season: March to August
The Hawaiian Stilt, a slender wading species, has one of the longest legs among birds. It is also known for its territorial behavior. Both male and female adults aggressively defend their nesting sites and nestlings from predators. Moreover, when needed, they often feign injuries to distract their predators as well.
Dietary Habits
The primary dietary region of this species is in shallow waters and mudflats. For food sources, they depend on midges as well. Being an opportunistic feeder, the Hawaiian Stilt feeds on invertebrates, crustaceans, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and small fish.
FAQ
Now that you are caught up with almost all the white bird names in Hawaii you might still be interested to know more.
Hence, for the curious bunch, we will be answering a couple of frequently asked questions.
Q: What are the white birds in Hawaii called?
Ans: One of the common names for the commonly sighted white birds in Hawaii is Manu-o-Kū (Gygis alba). It is a native Hawaiian seabird that is usually found throughout many areas around that region. This species is otherwise known as White Tern, Fairy Tern, Angel Tern, or White Noddy.
Q: What bird is Hawaii known for?
Ans: One of the most frequently spotted birds is Nene (Branta sandvicensis). It is also regarded as the official state bird of Hawaii.
Thoughts
After a long list of white birds in Hawaii, we have finally reached the end of the article. We hope this article helps you to get interested in these species even more.
Moreover, even though these species all have one color in common, they are unique in their own fascinating ways fulfilling our hearts with their distinctive characteristics.
It is a blessing and privilege to live in a world full of so much versatility. Hence, regardless of which color the birds might possess, we all should come forth to help conserve them with the government.
The existent species are all federally protected under the “Endangered Species Act”, but as we mentioned earlier everyone needs to create awareness about their protection among the natives and the tourists.
