We are back with another exhilarating post where we will talk about some tricolor birds, and this time the colors will be all-time favorites, Black, White, and Grey. In this article, we will talk about the different types of birds that are black, white, and grey found in various parts of the world. So, now without spending much time on chatting, let’s deep dive into the list. Also, if you love this article, feel free to share and comment.
Types of Black, White and Grey Birds On Earth
1. Black-Capped Chickadee
| Scientific Name | Poecile atricapillus |
| Size | 12-15 centimeters |
| Diet | Insects mainly caterpillars, sunflower seeds |
| Life Span | 2-3 years |
| Geographic Location | North America |
Black Capped Chickadees are one of the most common birds that one can see, especially around bird feeders. Along with a black cap and bib, they have facial sides white while the underparts are rusty to white.
The wings exhibit a mix of black, grey, and white colorations. Black Capped Chickadees will not only hide seeds for later consumption but can also remember up to 1000 such hiding spots.
2. Loggerhead Shrike
| Scientific Name | Lanius ludovicianus |
| Size | 8-9 inches |
| Diet | Insects, spiders, reptiles, bats, other birds |
| Life Span | 7-8 years |
| Geographic Location | Southern Canada, USA, Mexico |
Loggerheads Shrikes come with a black mask around their eyes and black wings, along with grey backs and pale white underparts. Despite being a predatory species, Loggerheads have weak talons.
However, their larger necks compensate for this, and they often kill their prey with whiplash injuries. Since the 1960s, North America has witnessed a sharp decline in the population of these birds, and the IUCN currently lists it as Near Threatened.
3. White Breasted Nuthatch
| Scientific Name | Sitta carolinensis |
| Size | 6 inches |
| Diet | Insects and Seeds |
| Life Span | 2 years on average |
| Geographic Location | North America |
The next species on this list of Back, White, and Grey birds is the White Breasted Nuthatch. These birds display a tricolor plumage, with dark grey and black colors making up the wings, white underparts, and black crown and upper back.
Though it may be the general coloration, it varies significantly among its various sub-species distributed throughout the continent.
4. Dark-Eyed Junco
| Scientific Name | Junco hyemalis |
| Size | 5-6.9 inches |
| Diet | Seeds and occasionally insects |
| Life Span | Up to 11 years |
| Geographic Location | North America |
The Dark Eyed Junco are small black, white and grey birds that migrate to the North of the continent during spring.
They are available throughout the continent and generally have dark grayish to blacking upper parts, like the wings, head, and shoulders, while the underparts, like the belly region, are mostly white.
Dark Eyed Juncos have several sub-species, each with their respective plumage variations. Migration is mostly dependent on the location of the subspecies, as only those birds that stay high up in the North travel to the South during winter, and retreat during spring, which is their breeding season.
5. Black-throated Grey Warbler
| Scientific Name | Setophaga nigrescens |
| Size | 5 inches |
| Diet | Insects like caterpillars |
| Life Span | 4-5 years |
| Geographic Location | Western North America, Pacific Coast |
Except for a little patch of yellow that is present right above and in front of the bird’s eye, the Black-throated Gray Warbler has a distinctive monochromatic appearance.
Black-throated warblers are small grey birds with black and white striped heads, with the stripes confluence at the base of the beak.
The shoulders are grey, while the wings have white and black feathers. Despite being a migratory warbler, its numbers are currently unaffected by anthropogenic activities.
6. Laughing Gull
| Scientific Name | Leucophaeus atricilla |
| Size | 14-16 inches |
| Diet | Fish, aquatic invertebrates |
| Life Span | 15-22 years |
| Geographic Location | Atlantic coasts USA, Mexico and South America |
The next bird in this list of Black, White, and Grey birds is a grey bird with a black head and white body the Laughing Gull. Their wings are grey, while the tail feathers are black.
Plumages vary as they grow from their juvenile stage to adulthood. Laughing Gulls, whose population hit rock bottom in the 19th century, are now a bird of Least Concern, thanks to conservation efforts.
7. Black-Crowned Night Heron
| Scientific Name | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Size | 22.5-26 inches long |
| Diet | Fish, earthworms, mussels, squids, carrion, small rodents, landfill refuse |
| Life Span | 20 years |
| Geographic Location | Worldwide distribution |
Compared to previous Black, white, and grey birds, Black Crowned Night Heron has quite a cosmopolitan distribution.
Also known as the Black-capped heron, these birds have pale grey wings, black backs, and whitish to the pale white body. These black, grey, and white birds are migratory, fly south for wintering, and fly back north in spring during the months of March-May.
8. Blacksmith Lapwing
| Scientific Name | Vanellus armatus |
| Size | 31 centimeters high |
| Diet | Worms, mollusks, insects like ants and crustaceans |
| Life Span | 10-20 years |
| Geographic Location | Southern and Eastern Africa |
Taking into view the previous birds on this list, the Blacksmith Lapwing, is, without a doubt possesses one of the most striking plumages that have a white crown, black head, and throat, with body and wings having a mix of black, grey, and white.
Blacksmith Lapwings gets its name from its alarm call, which resembles a blacksmith’s hammer when it’s striking a metal.
9. Black Shouldered Kite
| Scientific Name | Elanus caeruleus |
| Size | 14 |
| Diet | Insects, rodents, snakes, birds |
| Life Span | 6 years |
| Geographic Location | Sub-Saharan Africa, Tropical Asia, Europe |
Black Winged Kites are one of the small species of raptors that have black shoulders and grey wings and tails. The rest of the body is white, with a black border around its bright red eyes.
The IUCN currently lists them as a species of Least Concern. Due to their similar appearance, people often confuse the Black Shouldered Kite with its Australian relative, bearing the same name.
10. Common Tern
| Scientific Name | Sterna hirundo |
| Size | 12-14 inches |
| Diet | Fish |
| Life Span | 9-10 years |
| Geographic Location | Europe, Asia, North America |
Common Terns have long wings, a quite distinctive forked tail, and slender bodies. Adult birds have a white body, a black crown on their forehead, and grey wings.
These black, grey, and white birds mate in the northern hemisphere during summer, and then migrate to tropical or subtropical waters in the winter and then fly back north in spring.
Common Terns display graceful and acrobatic flying, which involves lingering in the air before diving into the water.
11. Demoiselle Crane
| Scientific Name | Grus virgo |
| Size | 33.5-39.5 inches |
| Diet | Lizards, amphibians, mammals, seeds |
| Life Span | 27 years |
| Geographic Location | Southern and Central Asian countries like China, India |
Next up on this list of black, grey, and white birds, we have the smallest of the crane species, the Demoiselle Crane.
With white and grayish backs and feathers, black throats, and loosely hanging feathers down the throat, Demoiselle Cranes take one of the toughest migratory routes in the entire animal world.
In the Indian culture, Demoiselle Cranes hold great cultural significance, especially in North India, where they are known as koonj.
12. White Wagtail
| Scientific Name | Motacilla alba |
| Size | 16-19 centimeters |
| Diet | Insects |
| Life Span | 12 years |
| Geographic Location | Europe, Asia, North Africa |
White Wagtails are grey birds with black and white heads. The shoulders are grey while the wings are white and grayish brown. The chin is black, while the underparts are white.
White Wagtails are currently listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN. Their distinctive ‘tsee-tsee’ call can easily help to identify this bird in the wild.
13. White Naped Crane
| Scientific Name | Antigone vipio |
| Size | 44-49 inches long, 4.3 feet high |
| Diet | Insects, roots, plants, seeds |
| Life Span | 15 years |
| Geographic Location | Mongolia, China |
White Naped Cranes have quite a distinctive appearance with a white head, neck, and nape, and black throats and mask around the eyes.
The wings and shoulders display a gradient of lighter and darker grey colorations. Though being regarded for their striking courtship dance, White Naped Cranes are now a vulnerable species, with less than 5000 individuals left in the wild.
14. Wattled Crane
| Scientific Name | Grus carunculata |
| Size | 16 inches tall |
| Diet | Aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, plants, amphibians |
| Life Span | 20-30 years |
| Geographic Location | Ethiopia, Zambia, Botswana |
The second last bird on this list of black, white, and red birds is the second largest crane species, the Wattled Crane.
The crown is grey, the neck and the upper back are white, and the wings are grey and black. Habit degradation has resulted in a sharp decline in their population and is currently listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN.
15. Grey Butcherbird
| Scientific Name | Cracticus torquatus |
| Size | 10.5-11.5 inches |
| Diet | Insects, lizards, fruits, and seeds |
| Life Span | 8-15 years |
| Geographic Location | Australia |
Grey Butcherbirds are small black, white, and grey birds that have quite a distinctive plumage. The head is black, while the wings are grey and black. The underparts, especially the belly region, come in a mix of grey and white. Often due to their body size and beaks, people confuse them with kingfishers.
Now, it’s time to conclude this list of Black, Grey, and White birds. We will be back with many more interesting articles. Until then, you may go through our other articles on the website.
References:
Allaboutbirds- Black Capped Chikadee
Audobon.org- White Wagtail
Wildfowl Photography- Wattled Crane
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A zoology student turned writer. Nature has always been a magnet to me, and to unearth some of its secrets through my articles is my prime intention. If not engaging myself with nature and anime content, you can always find me going through some Bengali classics or filling the air with some soulful Tabla beats. An artist, trying to throw some colors to my blank canvas of life.