RareList

Birds that start with W

58 birds, sorted from the ones everyone says first to the ones almost nobody thinks of. 20 of them are in the Rare tier or rarer.

Rare but real

Names that are easy to defend and hard to guess. Good when you need an answer no one else will have.

Wilson's phalarope
Breeds on the northern great plains of Canada. Rare
Whistling swan
North American subspecies of tundra swan having a soft whistling note. Rare
Wheatear
Small songbird of northern America and Eurasia having a distinctive white rump. Rare
Water hen
Any of various small aquatic birds of the genus Gallinula distinguished from rails by a frontal shield and a resemblance to domestic hens. Rare
Wood warbler
European woodland warbler with dull yellow plumage. Rare
Wall creeper
Crimson-and-grey songbird that inhabits town walls and mountain cliffs of southern Eurasia and northern Africa. Rare

All 58 birds that start with W

Sorted by search interest, most familiar first. The last column is average monthly US Google searches.

Showing all 58. Tap a name to copy it.

Birds that start with W, with definition, group, rarity tier and monthly searches
NameWhat it isGroup
also Peckerwood, Pecker Bird with strong claws and a stiff tail adapted for climbing and a hard chisel-like bill for boring into wood for insects. Birds Plankton 135K
also Jenny wren Any of several small active brown birds of the northern hemisphere with short upright tails. Birds Plankton 110K
also Summer duck, Wood widgeon Showy North American duck that nests in hollow trees. Birds Too Clever 91K
American nocturnal goatsucker with grey-and-white plumage. Birds Too Clever 61K
also Whooper swan Common Old World swan noted for its whooping call. Birds Too Clever 50K
also Wading bird Any of many long-legged birds that wade in water in search of food. Birds Too Clever 41K
Game bird of the sandpiper family that resembles a snipe. Birds Too Clever 41K
A small active songbird. Birds Too Clever 27K
Rare North American crane having black-and-white plumage and a trumpeting call. Birds Too Clever 27K
also Water bird, Waterbird Freshwater aquatic bird. Birds Too Clever 22K
Bluish-grey nuthatch with black head and white breast. Birds Too Clever 22K
Very large albatross. Birds Too Clever 18K
A meadowlark of western North America. Birds Too Clever 15K
Of western North America. Birds Too Clever 15K
also Whitethroat Common North American finch with a white patch on the throat and black-and-white striped crown. Birds Too Clever 15K
also Wood ibis, Flinthead An American stork that resembles the true ibises in having a downward-curved bill. Birds Too Clever 15K
The common stork of Europe. Birds Too Clever 12K
Finch with black-and-white striped crown. Birds Too Clever 12K
Large thrush common in eastern American woodlands. Birds Too Clever 12K
also Ern, Erne, Grey sea eagle Bulky greyish-brown eagle with a short wedge-shaped white tail. Birds Schooler 9.9K
also Widgeon Freshwater duck of Eurasia and northern Africa related to mallards and teals. Birds Schooler 8.1K
Large North American shorebird of eastern and Gulf Coasts. Birds Schooler 8.1K
also Arkansas kingbird A kingbird seen in western United States. Birds Schooler 6.6K
Old World woodpecker with a peculiar habit of twisting the neck. Birds Schooler 6.6K
Brown velvety-plumaged songbirds of the northern hemisphere having crested heads and red waxy wing tips. Birds Schooler 5.4K
also Weaver finch Finch-like African and Asian colonial birds noted for their elaborately woven nests. Birds Schooler 5.4K
also Maori hen, Wood hen Flightless New Zealand rail of thievish disposition having short wings each with a spur used in fighting. Birds Schooler 5.4K
Large American pelican. Birds Schooler 5.4K
American snipe. Birds Schooler 5.4K
also Cushat Eurasian pigeon with white patches on wings and neck. Birds Schooler 5.4K
Grey-and-white American kite of warm and tropical regions. Birds Schooler 4.4K
An undomesticated duck (especially a mallard). Birds Schooler 4.4K
Old World bird having a very long tail that jerks up and down as it walks. Birds Schooler 3.6K
also Wilson's blackcap, Wilsonia pusilla Yellow wood warbler with a black crown. Birds Schooler 3.6K
Small wren of coniferous forests of northern hemisphere. Birds Schooler 3.6K
Blackish New World snakebird of swampy regions. Birds Schooler 2.9K
also Whidah, Widow bird Mostly black African weaverbird. Birds Schooler 2.9K
Small flycatcher of western North America. Birds Schooler 1.3K
Breeds on the northern great plains of Canada. Birds Rare 880
North American subspecies of tundra swan having a soft whistling note. Birds Rare 720
Small songbird of northern America and Eurasia having a distinctive white rump. Birds Rare 590
also Gallinule, Marsh hen, Swamphen Any of various small aquatic birds of the genus Gallinula distinguished from rails by a frontal shield and a resemblance to domestic hens. Birds Rare 480
European woodland warbler with dull yellow plumage. Birds Rare 480
also Tichodrome Crimson-and-grey songbird that inhabits town walls and mountain cliffs of southern Eurasia and northern Africa. Birds Rare 390
Brown-and-buff European songbird of grassy meadows. Birds Rare 260
Tropical African bird having metallic blackish plumage but no crest. Birds Rare 210
also Swallow shrike Australasian and Asiatic bird related to the shrikes and resembling a swallow. Birds Rare 210
also Woodhewer, Wood-creeper, Tree creeper Any of numerous South American and Central American birds with a curved bill and stiffened tail feathers that climb and feed like woodpeckers. Birds Rare 210
also Greater whitethroat, Sylvia communis Greyish-brown Old World warbler with a white throat and underparts. Birds Rare 170
Small brown bird of California resembling a wren. Birds Rare 140
Large black petrel of southern seas having a white mark on the chin. Birds Deep Cut 70
also Great snipe Old World snipe larger and darker than the whole snipe. Birds Deep Cut 70
Bluish-green-and-white North American swallow. Birds Deep Cut 30
A butcherbird of western North America. Birds Deep Cut 30
Small Asiatic and African bird. Birds Deep Cut 30
Brownish North American warbler found near streams. Birds Deep Cut 20
Stilt of the southwest Pacific including Australia and New Zealand having mostly white plumage but with black wings and nape of neck. Birds Deep Cut 10
Common snipe of Eurasia and Africa. Birds One in a Krillion <10

Questions about birds that start with W

How many birds start with W?

RareList lists 58 birds that start with W. 2 are in the Plankton tier, the names everyone knows, and 20 are in the Rare tier or rarer.

What are common birds that start with W?

The most searched birds starting with W are Woodpecker, Wren, Wood duck, Whippoorwill and Whooper.

What is a rare bird that starts with W?

White-headed stilt is one of the rarest. Stilt of the southwest Pacific including Australia and New Zealand having mostly white plumage but with black wings and nape of neck. It gets about 10 US searches a month. Other rare picks: Wilson's phalarope, Whistling swan and Wheatear.

How does RareList decide what counts as rare?

Each name is ranked by its average monthly Google searches in the United States. Fewer searches means fewer people are likely to think of it, which is what matters in games that reward unique answers. See how we rank for the details.