20 Stunning Black Birds with White Bellies [Images + IDs]

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In the world of birds, there are some special ones that catch our eye with their colors. We’re talking about black birds with white bellies. These birds have sleek black feathers that shine in the sunlight, and they have a distinctive white patch on their bellies. It’s a beautiful contrast that makes them stand out. Join us on a journey to discover more about these fascinating birds – where they live, how they behave, and what makes them unique. Get ready to be amazed by the charm and mystery of black birds with white bellies as we explore their world together.

List of Black Birds with White Bellies

Black-billed Magpie
Spotted Towhee
Eastern Towhee
Downy Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Chickadee
Barn Swallow
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbirds
Black Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-headed pigeon
White-headed barbet
Western Osprey
Black-faced hawk
Swallow-tailed kite
Pacific Gull
Palm-nut vulture
Black and white hawk-eagle

Black-billed Magpie

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Scientific name: Pica hudsonia
Lifespan: 4-6 years
Size: 19 in
Native to: North America

Black-billed Magpie: The Black-billed Magpie is a striking bird with its black and white plumage, long tail, and a distinctive black bill. These intelligent birds are known for their remarkable vocalizations and their ability to mimic other sounds. Black-billed Magpies have relatively long legs, which are a pale pinkish hue. These legs allow them to walk and hop on the ground as they search for insects, small vertebrates, fruits, and seeds. The pinkish color of their legs provides a subtle contrast against their black and white feathers, enhancing their overall appearance. With their sharp minds and elegant presence, Black-billed Magpies are a captivating species that adds charm to the landscapes they inhabit.

Spotted Towhee

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Scientific name: Pipilo maculatus
Lifespan: Up to 8 years
Size: Approximately 18 centimeters (7 inches) in length
Origin: Found in North America, inhabiting dense shrubby areas and forests

The Spotted Towhee is a medium-sized songbird native to North America. It has a distinct black head, reddish sides, and a white belly with black spots. The Spotted Towhee has relatively long legs, typically a pale pinkish color. These legs are adapted for ground foraging, as the bird scratches and kicks the leaf litter in search of insects, seeds, and berries. The pale pink color of their legs adds a subtle touch to their overall appearance, blending harmoniously with their warm-colored plumage. With their unique combination of patterns and their melodic songs, Spotted Towhees bring a lively and cheerful presence to the forests and brushy habitats they call home.

Eastern Towhee

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Scientific name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Lifespan: Up to 9 years
Size: Approximately 20 centimeters (8 inches) in length
Origin: Native to eastern North America

The Eastern Towhee is a medium-sized bird found in eastern and central parts of North America. It has a striking appearance with a black head, back, and tail, contrasting with its warm rufous sides and a white belly. The Eastern Towhee has relatively long legs, typically a pale pinkish hue. These legs enable it to hop and scratch the ground in search of insects, seeds, and berries. The pale pink color of its legs adds a subtle touch to its overall appearance, complementing its bold plumage. With its distinctive “tow-hee” call and its energetic foraging behavior, the Eastern Towhee brings vitality to the woodland edges and shrubby habitats it frequents.

Downy Woodpecker (bird with black and white striped head)

Scientific name: Picoides pubescens
Lifespan: about 3 to 5 years
Wingspan: between 10 and 12 inches
Native to: North America

Downy Woodpecker: The Downy Woodpecker is a small and charismatic bird found throughout North America. It has a black and white plumage pattern, with a white belly and black wings adorned with white spots. The Downy Woodpecker has relatively short legs, typically a pale pinkish color. These legs provide stability as it clings to tree trunks and branches while foraging for insects and larvae hidden beneath the bark. The pale pink hue of its legs adds a subtle contrast to its black and white plumage, enhancing its visual appeal. With its distinctive drumming sounds and acrobatic movements, the Downy Woodpecker brings a lively and rhythmic presence to the woodlands it inhabits.

White-breasted Nuthatch

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Scientific name: Sitta carolinensis
Lifespan: 2-6 years
Size: 13-15 centimeters (5-6 inches)
Origin: North America

White-breasted Nuthatch: The White-breasted Nuthatch is a small passerine bird found in North America. It has a unique appearance with a blue-gray back, white underparts, and a black cap on its head. The White-breasted Nuthatch has relatively short legs, typically a pale pinkish hue. These legs are well-adapted for climbing trees as it moves up and down tree trunks in search of insects and seeds. The pale pink color of its legs provides a subtle contrast to its overall plumage, adding to its charm. With its distinctive nasal calls and its ability to move headfirst down tree trunks, the White-breasted Nuthatch brings a sense of agility and curiosity to the woodlands it calls home.

Barn Swallow

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Scientific name: Hirundo rustica
Lifespan: 4 years
Size: 5.5 and 7 inches
Native to: Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas

Barn Swallow: The Barn Swallow is a graceful bird found worldwide, known for its distinctive forked tail and long, pointed wings. It has a sleek blue-black back, a rusty-colored throat and forehead, and a white underbelly. The Barn Swallow has relatively long legs, typically a pale pinkish hue. These legs enable it to perch on wires and branches as it scans the air for insects to feed on. The pale pink color of its legs adds a subtle elegance to its aerial maneuvers. With its sweeping flight patterns and melodious chirping, the Barn Swallow is a symbol of summer and a welcome sight in open fields, meadows, and near human structures.

Hairy Woodpecker

Scientific name: Leuconotopicus villosus
Lifespan: about 11 years to 15 years
Wingspan: 15-inch
Native to: Southwest from Mexico to Panama

Hairy Woodpecker: The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker species found across North America. It has a striking black and white plumage pattern, with a white belly and a black back adorned with white spots. The Hairy Woodpecker has relatively long legs, typically a pale pinkish hue. These legs provide stability as it clings to tree trunks and branches while drumming and excavating for insects. The pale pink color of its legs adds a subtle touch of charm to its overall appearance. With its distinctive “peek” call and its powerful drilling sounds, the Hairy Woodpecker brings rhythm and vitality to the forests it inhabits, contributing to the unique soundscape of woodpeckers at work.

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Scientific name: Tyrannus tyrannus
Lifespan: Up to 10 years
Size: Approximately 22 centimeters (8.7 inches) in length
Origin: Native to North America

Eastern Kingbirds: Eastern Kingbirds are medium-sized songbirds found in North America. They have a sleek and elegant appearance, with a blackish back, grayish-white underparts, and a distinctive white-tipped tail. The Eastern Kingbird has relatively long legs, typically a pale pinkish hue. These legs provide stability as it perches on branches and aerially hunt for insects, their primary source of food. The pale pink color of its legs adds a subtle touch of grace to its overall profile. With their assertive nature and distinctive chirping calls, Eastern Kingbirds are known for their territorial behavior and fearless defense of their nesting sites.

Black Phoebe

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Scientific name: Sayornis nigricans
Lifespan: Up to 9 years
Size: Approximately 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in length
Origin: Native to western North America

The Black Phoebe is a small passerine bird native to western North America. It has a glossy black plumage with a white belly and undertail coverts, creating a striking contrast. The Black Phoebe has relatively long legs, typically a pale pinkish hue. These legs aid in perching on various surfaces, such as rocks, branches, or man-made structures, from which it scans its surroundings for flying insects. The pale pink color of its legs adds a subtle touch of elegance to its appearance. With its melodious and distinctive call and its ability to catch insects on the wing, the Black Phoebe is a skilled aerial hunter and a common sight near water sources.

Tree Swallow

Scientific name: Tachycineta bicolor
Lifespan: 5 years
Size: 14 cm
Native to: North America

Tree Swallows are small migratory birds found across North America. They have a vibrant plumage, with metallic blue-green upperparts and a white underbelly. The Tree Swallow has relatively long legs, typically a pale pinkish hue. These legs enable it to cling to vertical surfaces, such as tree trunks and nest boxes, as it forages for insects in mid-air. The pale pink color of its legs adds a subtle touch of charm to its overall appearance. With their acrobatic flight patterns and cheerful chirping, Tree Swallows bring life and movement to open habitats near water, where they build their nests and raise their young.

White-headed pigeon

Scientific name: Columba leucomela
Lifespan: about 14 years
Size: 15–17 in
Native to: the east coast of Australia.

A member of the Columbidae family of birds is the white-headed pigeon. It is a petite, chubby dove that weighs around 13 oz and is about 16 inches long. The male has a red beak with a yellow tip, black wings, and a tail in addition to the mostly white head, neck, and underbelly plumage. Similar in size to the male, the female has a dark blue back and a grey underbelly.

Australia’s wide countryside and woods are home to the white-headed pigeon. It lays one egg and builds its nest on the highest trees. They mostly eat fruits and seeds.

White-headed barbet

Scientific name: Lybius leucocephalus
Lifespan: 10 years
Size: 7.1-7.7 inches
Native to: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The woods of Central Africa are home to the black and white white-headed barbet. They have a big, white head and a powerful beak, and they are around 7 inches long. Their feet are gray-black, while the majority of their underparts are white.

These white-headed barbets like to eat Insects and seeds. They use mud to make their nests, which are lined with leaves. Because they are monogamous, both parents assist in raising the young. These little white-headed birds are sociable and often seen in groups. Therefore, be sure to capture this species in a high-quality photograph on your next trip to Africa while birding.

Western Osprey

Scientific name: Pandion haliaetus
Lifespan: 10 years
Size: 20-inch
Native to: throughout the planet, except in Antarctica, Africa, and South America,

Western Ospreys are big, black birds with white heads that live in western North America. These massive raptors have a white head and a brownish-black body. They may weigh up to 4 pounds and have a wingspan of around 6 feet.

Western Ospreys are often found near saltmarshes, reservoirs, cliff reeves, and ponds since their main food source is fish. When hunting, they hover above the water’s surface until they detect a fish, at which point they dive in to grab it. They also construct their nests close to water sources, usually using sticks and grasses.

The Western Osprey is not regarded as an endangered species. They may still be seen in the wild since they are still widespread.

Western ospreys take a little longer than most of the other species on this list to incubate their white eggs. they usually take up to 43 days.

Black-faced hawk

Scientific name: Leucopternis melanops.
Lifespan: about 15 years
Size: 21-inch
Native to: lowland Peru north of the Amazon and northeastern Ecuador to Venezuela, southern Colombia, Brazil north of the Amazon, and the Guyanas.

Black-faced hawks are distinctive black and white members of the Accipitridae family, which also contains other huge raptors. They are mostly found near the open spaces of the Amazon basin.

It is a medium-sized raptor that is about the same size as a common buzzard. Its head, breast, and belly are white, while its upper portions are black. The legs are yellow, and the beak is red with a black tip.

The black mask between its eyes that gives this bird its name is the first thing you’ll notice when you see it. This black bird with a white head eats insects, small animals, birds, lizards, and snakes. They are renowned for their “keeuu”.

Swallow-tailed kite (blackbird with a white belly)

Scientific name: Elanoides forficatus
Lifespan: about 6 years
Size: 24-inch
Native to: southeastern United States to eastern Peru and northern Argentina

The swallow-tailed kite is a medium-sized raptor found in America and is renowned for its spectacular flight. It belongs to the same family as vultures and hawks, the Accipitridae. The large, sharply forked tail of this kite makes it easy to identify.

The bird has a long tail and a plumage that is white below and blackish above. Swallow-tailed hawks migrate, breeding in North America and spending the winter in South America. They make enormous stick nests in trees. Furthermore, their main food consists of tiny mammals, reptiles, such as lizards and snakes, as well as small amphibians.

Pacific Gull

Scientific name: Larus pacificus
Lifespan: about 30 years
Size: 23 to 26 in
Native to: Australia

Large seabirds known as Pacific gulls may be seen along North America’s coastline. These birds are readily recognized by their loud screams and are distinguished by their white heads, black wings, and tails.

They create large flocks when grazing or migrating, and they nest in colonies on protected beaches. These birds are scavengers, and you may spot them devouring fish, seaweed, or other aquatic life. Pacific gulls have a reputation for robbing other birds of their food.

Palm-nut vulture

Scientific name: Gypohierax angolensis
Lifespan: about 20 years
Size: 20 inches
Native to: Central Africa

This vulture gets its name because it mostly eats palm tree fruit. One of the biggest vultures in Africa, the palm-nut vulture may be identified by its black plumage, white shoulders, and white head.

With a wingspan of up to 60 inches, this huge, black bird has a white head and measures around 24 inches. Moreover, This vulture is also among the friendliest vultures, often gathering in large groups to eat.

There are around 80,000 pairs of them in the wild and you may easily locate them.

Black and white hawk-eagle

Scientific name: Spizaetus melanoleucus
Lifespan: Up to 42 years
Size: 20–24 in
Native to: southern Mexico to eastern Peru, through Brazil and northern Argentina.

The black and white hawk eagle is distinguished by its yellow eyes, black and white body color, yellow feet, and yellow beak with a black tip.

The black and white hawk-eagle has a wingspan of approximately 46 inches, is about 24 inches tall, and weighs around 30 oz. They are outstanding hunters, like other huge black birds with white heads. Smaller birds, notably wood quails, and toucans, are the preferred prey of this hawk eagle.

These huge white and black raptors make nests throughout the mating season, and their nests contain two creamy white eggs.

They may be found in Brazil, Argentina, and Southern Mexico. They prefer woodlands in mid-elevation areas.

Dark-eyed Junco

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Scientific name: Junco hyemalis
Lifespan: 3-11 years
Size: 14-16 centimeters (5.5-6.3 inches)
Origin: North America

The Dark-eyed Junco is a small, migratory bird found across North America. It is known for its distinctive dark eyes and a variety of plumage variations, ranging from gray to brown to black. These birds have relatively short legs, which are typically a pale pinkish color. With their agile legs, Dark-eyed Juncos hop and forage on the ground, searching for seeds, insects, and berries. Their pinkish legs provide a subtle contrast to their overall plumage, adding to their charming appearance. Whether seen in winter foraging on snowy grounds or in springtime displaying their beautiful songs, Dark-eyed Juncos are a delightful sight in the natural landscapes they inhabit.

Final Thoughts on Black Birds with White Bellies

Our exploration of black birds with white bellies has revealed a fascinating aspect of avian diversity. These captivating creatures, with their sleek black plumage and contrasting white bellies, have left us in awe of nature’s artistic palette. Their striking coloration not only adds beauty to the natural landscape but also serves various functions in their lives. From aiding in camouflage to attracting mates and communicating with their flock, the black and white contrast plays a vital role. As we conclude our journey, let us appreciate the elegance and uniqueness of these birds and strive to protect their habitats. May the presence of black birds with white bellies continue to inspire us, reminding us of the endless wonders that exist within the avian world.

20 Stunning Black Birds with White Bellies [Images + IDs]