When you spot a flash of white against Indiana’s wetlands or winter fields, you’re witnessing one of 17 distinctive white bird species that call the Hoosier State home.
From the towering Great Egret wading through marshes to the compact Snow Bunting foraging along roadsides, these birds offer year-round viewing opportunities across diverse habitats.
Whether you’re scanning lakeshores, agricultural fields, or your own backyard, this guide provides the identification details, habitat preferences, and seasonal timing you need to confidently name every white bird in indiana you encounter.
1. Great Egret
The Great egret (Ardea alba) stands as one of Indiana’s most elegant waders, reaching heights of 38-41 inches with striking all-white plumage. You’ll recognize this species by its dagger-like bright yellow bill, long S-curved neck, and contrasting black legs and feet. During breeding season from April through August, males develop spectacular neon green facial skin and long, wispy aigrettes—decorative plumes extending from their backs to their tails that they fan out during courtship displays.
Look for Great Egrets in freshwater and saltwater marshes, tidal flats, and fish ponds throughout Indiana, particularly from April to November when they’re most abundant. They appear in approximately 7% of summer bird checklists submitted by observers. These patient hunters stand motionless in shallow water before striking with lightning speed to catch fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates.
Pro Tip: The best viewing times are early morning or late afternoon when Great Egrets are most actively feeding in shallow marsh edges and pond perimeters.
2. Snowy Egret
The Snowy egret (Egretta thula) brings delicate beauty to Indiana’s wetlands as a smaller cousin to the Great Egret. This species measures 22-26 inches tall and features pristine white plumage contrasting with a slender black bill, black legs, and distinctive bright yellow feet that look like they’re wearing golden slippers. These “golden slippers” serve as the most reliable identification feature separating Snowy Egrets from other white wading birds.
You’ll find Snowy Egrets primarily during summer months in shallow coastal waters, marshes, and riverbanks. Unlike the statuesque Great Egret, Snowy Egrets employ an active hunting technique—they shuffle their feet in shallow water to startle prey, then quickly snatch up small fish, crustaceans, and insects. Their populations in Indiana remain limited compared to their more common relatives, making each sighting particularly rewarding for birders.
The Snowy Egret population faced near-extinction in the early 1900s due to demand for their breeding plumes in the fashion industry. Conservation efforts through the Migratory Bird Treaty Act helped restore their numbers across North America.
3. Cattle Egret
The Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) represents a fascinating example of natural range expansion, arriving in North America from Africa during the late 1800s. This compact heron stands just 18-22 inches tall with stocky proportions and a shorter neck than other egrets. During breeding season, adults develop beautiful buff-orange plumes on their crown, back, and breast, while non-breeding birds appear entirely white with yellow bills and legs.
Watch for Cattle Egrets in agricultural fields, pastures, and livestock areas where they follow grazing animals to catch insects stirred up by hooves. This behavior gave the species its common name and represents a unique feeding strategy among herons. In Indiana, you’ll spot them most reliably during summer months, often perched on the backs of cattle or walking alongside farm equipment during mowing operations.
Their relationship with livestock benefits both parties—the birds gain easy access to prey while cattle receive natural pest control services that reduce fly populations around farms and ranches.
4. American White Pelican
The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) commands attention as one of North America’s largest birds, with wingspans reaching 9 feet and body lengths of 50-65 inches. These massive birds display pure white plumage except for striking black flight feathers visible only when wings are spread. Breeding adults develop a distinctive horn-like yellow plate on their upper bill along with brighter orange coloration on their bills, legs, and eye patches.
You’ll encounter American White Pelicans primarily during spring and fall migration, though some remain through summer for breeding. They favor large lakes, rivers, and reservoirs where they engage in cooperative feeding—groups of pelicans form semicircles and drive fish toward shallow water before scooping them up in their enormous pouches. Unlike brown pelicans, this species never plunge-dives for food.
Common Mistake: Many people expect pelicans only along ocean coasts, but American White Pelicans prefer inland freshwater habitats and travel thousands of miles between northern breeding grounds and southern wintering areas.
5. Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) holds the distinction as the longest and heaviest native North American bird, weighing 20-30 pounds with wingspans exceeding 6 feet. Adults display entirely white plumage with jet-black bills and legs, while juveniles show pale gray-brown feathers with pinkish bills that darken with age. Their massive size and distinctive trumpet-like calls make them unmistakable in the field.
Indiana hosts Trumpeter Swans primarily from November through March, with roughly 1% appearing on winter checklists. You’ll find them in wetlands, marshy lakes, and agricultural fields where they graze on aquatic vegetation, grasses, and waste grain. Family groups often stay together through their first winter, so watching for gray juveniles among white adults helps locate these magnificent birds.
Listen for their loud, resonant calls that carry across open water and fields—the species name “buccinator” references their bugle-like vocalizations that once echoed across the continent before hunting nearly eliminated them. Conservation programs successfully restored populations throughout the Midwest.
6. Tundra Swan
The Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) migrates through Indiana during spring and fall, connecting Arctic breeding grounds with coastal wintering areas. Adults measure 47-58 inches long with pure white plumage, black bills featuring a small yellow spot near the eye, and black legs. Juvenile Tundra Swans show pale brown feathers with white highlights and mostly pink bills with black tips and bases.
You’ll spot Tundra Swans in wetlands, marshes, and agricultural fields during migration periods, often forming large flocks numbering hundreds of birds. They feed on aquatic plants, agricultural crops, and grain in harvested fields. Their preference for flocking behavior creates spectacular viewing opportunities when concentrations gather at key stopover sites along their migration routes.
The species was historically called “Whistling Swan” because their wings produce distinctive whistling sounds during flight—a characteristic that helps identify flying flocks even before you can see them clearly.
7. Mute Swan
The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) brings both beauty and controversy to Indiana waters as a non-native species introduced to grace ornamental ponds. Adults display entirely white plumage with gracefully curved necks, orange bills featuring large black basal knobs, and black facial markings around the bill base. Males grow larger than females, though both sexes share the distinctive S-curved neck posture. Juveniles have dusky-pinkish bills without orange coloration and may show brownish highlights on their bodies.
These swans appear year-round in Indiana, with populations concentrated in eastern regions where escaped birds have established breeding populations. You’ll find them on lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers where they feed on aquatic vegetation. While visually striking, Mute Swans raise significant ecological concerns—they consume massive amounts of aquatic plants (up to 8 pounds daily), displace native waterfowl, and display aggressive behavior during nesting season that can injure people and other wildlife.
Important Note: Wildlife managers actively work to control Mute Swan populations because their dominance threatens native species and degrades wetland habitats critical for migrating waterfowl.
8. Great White Heron
The Great White Heron (Ardea herodias occidentalis) represents a rare treat for Indiana birders, appearing only as an occasional vagrant from its typical range in southern Florida and the Caribbean. This all-white color morph of the Great Blue Heron stands 46-52 inches tall with massive proportions, a pale yellow or horn-colored bill, and yellowish legs. Unlike Great Egrets, Great White Herons possess significantly larger body size, heavier build, and pale rather than black legs.
When Great White Herons do appear in Indiana, they typically visit coastal areas, large rivers, or extensive wetland complexes. Their feeding behavior mirrors Great Blue Herons—they stand motionless in shallow water, waiting to strike at fish, frogs, and other aquatic prey with their powerful bills. These rare sightings generate excitement among local birding communities.
Distinguishing Great White Herons from Great Egrets requires attention to subtle details including leg color, overall size, and bill thickness—Great White Herons have noticeably stouter bills and significantly larger body mass.
9. Ring-billed Gull
The Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) ranks as the most likely gull you’ll encounter inland across Indiana. Breeding adults show clean gray backs, white heads, bodies, and tails, plus distinctive black wingtips spotted with white. Their yellow legs, yellow eyes, and yellow bills with prominent black bands create an unmistakable identification pattern. During winter, adults develop subtle brown streaking on their heads.
Unlike many gull species preferring coastal environments, Ring-billed Gulls thrive in human-modified landscapes. You’ll find them around cities, farmlands, docks, parking lots, landfills, and any large body of water throughout the year. These adaptable birds scavenge food scraps, catch small fish, and patrol agricultural fields for invertebrates and waste grain.
Their population success stems from remarkable adaptability to human activity—Ring-billed Gulls readily exploit food sources from fast-food parking lots to agricultural operations, demonstrating how some species benefit from landscape changes that challenge others.
10. Herring Gull
The Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) brings a touch of oceanic character to Indiana’s larger lakes and rivers. Adults display pale gray backs, white heads and underparts, black wingtips with white spots, and pink legs. Their heavy yellow bills feature a distinctive red spot on the lower mandible—a target that chicks peck during feeding. Winter adults develop brown streaking on their heads and necks.
You’ll spot Herring Gulls along Lake Michigan’s shoreline and occasionally on larger inland lakes and reservoirs, particularly during migration and winter months. They employ varied feeding strategies including scavenging, catching live fish, stealing from other birds, and dropping hard-shelled prey onto rocks to break them open. Their intelligence and opportunistic nature help them exploit diverse food sources.
Herring Gulls reach adult plumage only after four years, so you’ll often observe brown-mottled juveniles and intermediate-plumaged subadults alongside crisp adults in mixed gull flocks.
11. Bonaparte’s Gull
The Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) stands apart as one of North America’s smallest and most elegant gulls, measuring just 11-12 inches long. Breeding adults feature striking black heads, gray backs and wings with white undersides, and distinctive white wedges on their wingtips. Their bills remain dark throughout the year, and their legs show bright coral-red coloration. Non-breeding adults lose the black hood, showing only a small dark ear spot.
During migration periods, Bonaparte’s Gulls pass through Indiana’s lakes, rivers, and wetlands in small to medium flocks. Unlike most gulls that scavenge or hunt from the surface, Bonaparte’s Gulls catch insects and small fish through graceful aerial maneuvers and surface dipping. They frequently associate with tern flocks, sharing similar feeding techniques.
Key Insight: Bonaparte’s Gull represents one of the few gull species that nest in trees rather than on the ground, building nests in coniferous forests across northern Canada and Alaska.
12. Forster’s Tern
The Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) brings aerial grace to Indiana’s wetlands and waterways during spring through fall. This medium-sized tern measures 13-14 inches with pale gray upperparts, white underparts, and black caps during breeding season. Their orange bills with black tips and orange legs provide key identification markers. Non-breeding adults show white heads with distinctive black eye patches extending backward—a feature that separates them from similar Common Terns.
You’ll find Forster’s Terns hunting over marshes, lakes, and rivers from April through October. They hunt by hovering 10-30 feet above water, spotting prey below, then plunging down to snatch small fish and aquatic insects from the surface. Their buoyant, agile flight and frequent hovering behavior distinguish them from gull species sharing the same habitats.
Watch for their courtship displays during early summer when males perform aerial flights while carrying fish to present to potential mates—successful presentations often lead to pair bonding and nesting.
13. Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) commands respect as the world’s largest tern species, approaching small gull size at 19-23 inches long with a 50-inch wingspan. Adults display pale gray backs, white underparts, and jet-black caps during breeding season. Their massive coral-red bills with dark tips and black legs create a powerful appearance unlike any other tern. The raspy, crow-like calls they produce sound distinctly different from other terns’ high-pitched cries.
During spring and fall migration, Caspian Terns visit Indiana’s larger lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. They hunt by flying 20-60 feet above water, hovering briefly, then plunging dramatically to catch fish up to 7 inches long. Their hunting prowess and substantial size allow them to dominate fishing spots and sometimes steal prey from smaller terns and gulls.
From a distance, Caspian Terns resemble large white gulls, but their flight style appears lighter and more buoyant with wings angled and tapered toward the wingtips compared to gulls’ broader, more rounded wings.
14. Common Tern
The Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) lives up to its name as a widespread and regularly observed tern across Indiana’s waterways during migration and summer months. Adults show pale gray upperparts, white underparts, and black caps extending down to eye level during breeding season. Their bright orange-red bills with black tips and orange-red legs help separate them from similar species. Non-breeding adults develop white foreheads and darker bills.
You’ll encounter Common Terns along lakeshores, rivers, and wetlands from May through September. They hunt by hovering over water at heights of 10-40 feet, then folding their wings and diving bill-first to catch small fish and aquatic insects just below the surface. Their high-pitched “kee-arr” calls ring out across nesting colonies and feeding areas.
Common Terns migrate extraordinary distances—some individuals breeding in the Great Lakes region travel to coastal South America for winter, covering over 10,000 miles during their annual cycle.
15. Rock Pigeon
The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) appears so ubiquitous in urban and suburban Indiana that many people overlook its white color morphs. While typical pigeons display blue-gray bodies with iridescent neck feathers, two black wing bars, and orange eyes, selective breeding has produced birds ranging from pure white to rusty-brown, spotted, and pied patterns. White Rock Pigeons appear regularly in city flocks, parks, and anywhere people gather.
You’ll find Rock Pigeons year-round in cities, towns, parks, agricultural areas, and around buildings where they nest on ledges mimicking their ancestral cliff habitats. These introduced birds descended from domesticated stock brought from Europe, with some populations dating back over 400 years. They feed on seeds, grains, and food scraps, often gathering in large flocks around reliable food sources.
Rock Pigeons demonstrate remarkable navigational abilities using Earth’s magnetic field—homing pigeons can return to their lofts from hundreds of miles away, a skill that made them valuable for message delivery throughout history.
16. Snow Bunting
The Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) transforms Indiana’s winter landscape into an Arctic scene when flocks descend on open fields and roadsides. Breeding males display nearly pure white plumage with black backs, while females and non-breeding males show white bodies with brown-streaked backs and brownish heads. All ages feature round bodies, short thick conical bills ideal for seed-eating, and distinctive white wing patches visible in flight.
You’ll spot Snow Buntings from late fall through early spring in open agricultural fields, along roadsides, and in sparsely vegetated areas. They typically feed on the ground in flocks numbering dozens to hundreds of birds, searching for weed seeds and waste grain. Their preference for the coldest, most open habitats reflects their breeding grounds in high Arctic tundra where summer temperatures rarely exceed 50°F.
Even in Arctic breeding areas, Snow Buntings face harsh conditions—they build nests deep in rock crevices lined with thick fur and feathers to protect eggs and nestlings from freezing temperatures and strong winds.
17. White-breasted Nuthatch
The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) brings year-round charm to Indiana’s woodlands and backyard feeders despite showing only partially white plumage. This compact songbird measures 5-6 inches long with distinctive white face and breast, blue-gray back, black cap (males) or gray crown (females), and white undertail coverts. Their stubby tails, large heads, and long pointed bills create a unique profile unlike any other backyard bird.
You’ll find White-breasted Nuthatches in deciduous and mixed forests, parks, cemeteries, and wooded suburban yards throughout the year. They demonstrate the remarkable ability to creep down tree trunks head-first—a behavior no other Indiana bird regularly performs. This unique locomotion allows them to find insects and insect eggs that upward-moving birds like woodpeckers and creepers miss. They also cache seeds in bark crevices for winter consumption.
Attract White-breasted Nuthatches to your feeders with sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, and safflower seeds—their acrobatic abilities let them use virtually any feeder style from tubes to suet cages.
