Peak birding season in MS is coming. Here’s when, where to go for the best experience
Peak birding season in Mississippi is right around the corner.
Spring migration, which starts in April and goes through May, offers some of the best views of colorful songbirds.
Birding is a fun, low-cost activity that can be done in your backyard. Whether it’s your first time or your 50th time, here are some tips and refreshers for birding this season along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Where to go birding near the MS Coast?
Here are the birding hotspots near the Mississippi Coast, according to Audubon:
- Ansley Preserve in Hancock County
- Hancock County Beach
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge in Jackson County
- Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Jackson County
Best practices for birding
If you’re new to birding, here’s what you need and how you can make sure you have the best experience, according to the National Parks Service:
What you need
- Bird guide
- Binoculars
How to bird
- Learn to identify the most common birds in your area first
- Find a good spot: a wildlife area, walking trail, forest, meadow or shoreline can all be good places to bird
- Go early: The early bird really does get the worm! Most birds sing at dawn and dusk
- Go during the right time of year
- Be patient
- Blend in
- Take notes
What is Mississippi’s state bird?
The northern mockingbird became the official state bird of Mississippi in 1944, according to Mississippi State University Extension. It is also the state bird of Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee.
The birds — which like to sing songs that mimic their environments — are identified by two bright white lines on their gray wings, according to experts.
Which birds are most common on the MS Coast?
Here are some of the most common birds found in backyards on the Mississippi Coast, according to the Pascagoula River Audubon Center:
- Tufted Titmouse
- Carolina Chickadee
- American Goldfinch
- Northern Cardinal
- Blue Jay
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Red-winged Blackbird
- American Robin
- Mourning Dove
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Northern Mockingbird
- Brown Thrasher
- Eastern Towhee
- House Finch
- House Sparrows
- White-throated Sparrows
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Carolina Wren
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Chirping Sparrow
- Eastern Bluebird
- Common Grackle
- American Crow
- Cedar Waxwing
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- European Starling
