Amazing White Birds With Long Orange Beak (ID Guide With Photos)

Identifying birds can be a difficult task – especially if you have never seen one of its nature before.

If you only have a couple of distinctive features to go off of, don’t panic. We are here to help you identify the bird that you spotted.

Many birds are white, but not so many with long orange beaks.

Let’s take a look at two species of bird that this could be so that you can stop researching so much and get back to birdwatching!

The American White Ibis

The description of a white bird with a long orange beak suggests that you have spotted the American White Ibis.

This is a medium-sized bird primarily found in Virginia, from the Gulf Coast of the United States.

The American White Ibis is a bird that has a completely white plumage with a brightly colored orange beak.

The beak is incredibly long, as is its legs, and they’re often characterized by their black wing tips. You’ll often only be able to see these tips when the bird is in flight.

These birds are of Least Concern on the conservation status and prey on aquatic wildlife such as small fish and insects.

This means that you’ll often see these birds around bodies of water. They’re more easy to spot during mating season as they all gather around said bodies of water.

You’ll often find them in shallow water rather than deep water, as this is where they can use their beaks to catch prey within the water.

Their curved beaks are thin and pointed to dig into the muddy water bottom with ease.

American White Ibises gather in colonies and remain there for the season, but will change their location every year to avoid getting caught by predators.

Interesting Facts About The American White Ibis

American White Ibis birds are incredibly interesting, much like a lot of species of bird out there.

This means that there are a lot of cool facts about the bird, so we thought that we’d start off by listing these.

The first is that male Ibises are very protective birds, and they will guard their nest to prevent other birds from being able to steal its sticks.

The male will continue to guard the nest until the female has finished building the nest, laying her eggs, and they’ve all hatched.

It’s not until the risk of being invaded is incredibly low that the male will leave the female to it.

We think that it is very fun, and unique from many other bird species, that male Ibises are so protective of other birds stealing their sticks!

Another fun fact about American White Ibis is that when they are babies, they hatch with completely straight beaks.

These don’t begin to curve until they are around two weeks old.

Our final fun fact about these birds is that the oldest White Ibis was recorded to be over 16 years, 4 months old!

It resided in Florida in 1972 since it had been banded in 1856!

The American Oystercatcher

This description could also indicate that you have found an Oystercatcher, particularly if you have seen the bird from front facing.

Oystercatchers are wading birds that are often found in fresh and saltwater margins, as well as on drier inland grounds.

You might also find them on gravel workings – so these birds can be seen in a variety of places.

Their plumage is both white and black, with the white being more concentrated on their bellies.

They have a vibrant orange beak and legs, and they are excellent fliers. While flying, you’ll notice the Oystercatcher has a wide wing-stripe that is also white.

They also have a white rump which expands to a V shape in between its wings. Oystercatcher – much like the name suggests – eats predominantly oysters and cockles.

This breeds along coastal waters, although within the last 50 years they have also started breeding inland more.

These birds could become vulnerable species if the cockle beds and oyster species are overexploited.

You’ll often be able to distinguish this bird between others thanks to its bright yellow-orange eyes that stand out as much as its orange bill.

Due to the limited diet of these Oystercatchers, they live in a very small ecological zone within salt marshes and small beaches.

There are many of the species around the US, but they are rather sensitive beings and therefore aren’t that common to spot.

Interesting Facts About The American Oystercatcher

Now let’s take a closer look into the fun facts about the American Oystercatcher. The first is that they make very varied movements once the breeding season has finished.

The babies do not winter in the same location as their parents – they sometimes even fly in the complete opposite direction to their parents.

These birds are also the only birds that can open oysters and clams with their beaks.

This means that they are often followed around by other species of birds that are eager to share their prey. These birds include gulls, Willets, and Ruddy Turnstones.

Another interesting fact is that Oystercatchers don’t always win the fight between themselves and their prey.

Sometimes, the shellfish is able to clamp down on the bill of the bird and hold on tight.

If the bird cannot break free before the tide comes in, they could find themselves in a worrying situation.

The oldest American Oystercatcher to date was recorded at 23 years, 10 months old.

It was originally banded when it was an adult in Virginia, 1989. It was then found in Florida in 2012.