Birds don’t need bright colors to be beautiful. In fact, some of the most striking birds are species with just two colors; black and white.
Black birds with white bellies are just the perfect example of this. Although this plumage pattern isn’t abundant, quite a few common species do show this striking plumage pattern.
Whether for camouflage or for social functions, we bet you’ve seen some black birds with white bellies!
Blackpoll Warblers are small gray warblers with black caps and pale cheeks. Males also have white underparts with a black mustache mark and black streaks on their sides. They have black streaking above and two pale wing bars on long, dark wings.
This species also has a pointed gray and yellowish bill and orange or pale yellow-brown legs.
Females and non-breeding male Blackpoll Warblers have some streaks on olive-gray upperparts, a dark line through each eye, fine streaking on pale underparts, and two pale wing bars.
This common species breeds in boreal forests in Alaska and Canada, and migrates to South America for the winter.
Carolina Chickadees are small birds with stubby little bills, a black cap, and a black throat. They have pale gray upperparts, snow-white cheeks, and pale tan underparts.
This species shows some white edging on the feathers of its wings but not as much as the Black-capped Chickadee.
Both sexes look alike and form small flocks that move with each other and other small bird species. This species is also one of the more regular visitors to bird feeders.
We see Carolina Chickadees in parks, woodlands, and gardens in much of the southeastern USA. They occur west to Texas and Oklahoma, and north to New Jersey.
Black Phoebes are small to medium-sized, slender, sooty black flycatchers with a bright white belly. They also have a bit of white edging on their wings and tail, a short crest, and a slender black beak.
Both sexes of the Black Phoebe look the same. They usually occur in pairs that perch low on bridges and vegetation near streams, rivers, and other wetlands in open arid habitats.
We see this common bird in California and various parts of the American Southwest, often in canyons. They also occur from Mexico to Central America, and in the Andes of South America.
Eastern Kingbirds are small to medium-sized flycatchers with blackish upperparts and contrasting white underparts. With a close look, we can also see a gray wash on their chest, pale edging on the feathers in their wings, and a bold white tip on their tail.
Both sexes of the Eastern Kingbird look alike all year long. In summer, pairs sit on prominent perches in fields and other open habitats. In fall, Eastern Kingbirds form flocks that feed on berries and migrate all the way to South America.
This species is common in large parts of Canada, the eastern USA, and in much of the northern part of the country.
Barn Swallows are small, elegant birds that spend most of their time on the wing. They are dark steely blue, almost black above, have rich chestnut on their front and throat, and peach underparts.
They also have white spots on their long, forked tail. Both sexes of the Barn Swallow look alike, although males have longer tails and tend to have brighter colors.
Barn Swallows usually occur in flocks that forage for bugs while zipping back and forth over farm fields and other open habitats. This species is common in southern Alaska, a large part of Alaska, most of the USA, and Eurasia. They winter in tropical areas in many parts of the world.
White-breasted Nuthatches are small, animated birds with a longish, sharp beak that looks slightly upturned. They have blue-gray upperparts, black edging on their long wings, and black and white on a rather short, blue-gray tail.
This species also has a bright white face and breast, gray sides, and some rusty markings on its belly and undertail. Male White-breasted Nuthatches have a narrow black cap, while females have a gray cap.
This species is common in parks, gardens, and woodlands in many parts of southern Canada, most of the USA, and many montane areas in Mexico. Pairs visit feeders and forage with other small birds.
Black-capped Chickadees are small, cute birds with stubby beaks, a smart black cap, and a black throat. They have gray upperparts, bright white cheeks, and pale buff underparts.
This species also shows some white edging on the feathers of its wings, especially on the upper part of the wing.
Both sexes of the Black-capped Chickadee look the same. They form small flocks that forage with each other and other small birds. This common and appealing species is also a regular visitor to bird feeders.
We see Black-capped Chickadees in gardens, parks, and woods in Alaska, Canada, and most of the northern USA.
Downy Woodpeckers are small, boldly patterned woodpeckers with a short beak. They have a striking black and white head and black upperparts with a big white patch on their back. They also have white spots on their black wings, and white at the edges of their black, pointed tail.
Both sexes look the same, except that male Downy Woodpeckers have a small red spot on their head.
Downy Woodpeckers usually occur in pairs and are common backyard visitors. They also live in parks and woodlands in Alaska, Canada, and most of the USA. They are absent from most of Texas and southwestern states.
Dark-eyed Juncos are small, handsome, sparrow-like birds with a lot of white in their tail and pale pinkish, conical beaks. They can be slate-gray with a white belly and undertail, or have a dark hood and brown colors on their back and sides.
Some subspecies are also mostly pale gray with a red-brown patch on their back. Both sexes look similar, except that females have duller, browner, less contrasting plumage.
Dark-eyed Juncos sing from trees but are usually seen foraging at feeders or on the ground. Flocks of this common species live in woods and park-like habitats in Alaska, Canada, and in much of the USA.
Black-billed Magpies are big, long-tailed, black birds with white bellies. Both sexes look alike and occur as pairs as well as in small flocks.
We see this species on the ground and in vegetation in open and semi-open habitats. They are common in Alaska, western and central Canada, and in the western USA south to New Mexico and east to Minnesota.
4. Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
The Black-necked Stilt is a shorebird with extremely long pink legs, a thin black beak, a white rump, tail, forehead, and mark above the eye. They have a glossy black upper side, hind neck, and cap, contrasting with the white underside. Females are browner than the glossy black males.
There is geographic variation as well; for example, birds in South America have a white collar, while those in Hawaii have more black on their heads.
They are widely distributed from the Caribbean, Central America, and southern South America to the western and southern United States. They also occur in Hawaii.
Normally, they stay all year round, but during the winter, birds in the northern parts of their range—particularly those that are inland—migrate as far south as southern Mexico.
This species lives in mangrove swamps, mudflats, shallow ponds, lagoons, salt marshes, and other artificially created flooded areas.
They consume amphibians, tiny fish, crabs, and aquatic insects for food.
7. Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
The black, long-tailed Spotted Towhee has orange-brown sides and a white belly. Their black throat and head contrast with the white spots on their wings and back, which match the color of their upper side.
In addition, they have red eyes, a dark beak, a white belly, orange-brown sides, and white tail corners. Females are duller and grayer than males. Some birds in Mexico are olive on the upper side.
They are found in western North America and Central America, ranging from Guatemala to southwestern Canada.
Their favored environments include chaparral, shrublands, forest edges, thickets, tangled vegetation, and overgrown fields.
They mainly feed on insects, spiders, and millipedes in summer. In the winter, they eat a variety of berries, acorns, seeds, and crops.
The majority of the Spotted Towhee’s range is home to resident birds, but during the winter, birds that breed in the northern inland regions migrate to the southern United States and northern Mexico.
What kind of bird has a black and white striped chest?
A bird with a striped chest in black and white could be an Acorn Woodpecker, Black-and-White Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, or even a European Starling in winter plumage.
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