List of birds of Mississippi facts for kids

This list of birds of Mississippi helps us learn about all the different bird species that have been seen and officially recorded in the state of Mississippi. The Mississippi Ornithological Society Bird Records Committee (MBRC) keeps this list up to date.

As of March 2018, there were 426 different bird species on the official list. Some birds are seen regularly, while others are more rare visitors. Here's what some of the special tags mean:

• Casual (Ca) - These birds are seen sometimes, usually in 4 to 8 years out of every 10 years.
• Accidental (A) - These birds are very rare visitors, seen in 3 or fewer years out of every 10 years.
• Introduced (I) - These birds were brought to North America by people, either on purpose or by accident.
• Extirpated (E) - These birds used to live in Mississippi but are not found here anymore, even though they still live in other places.
• Extinct (Ext) - These birds no longer exist anywhere in the world.

This list follows the scientific order from the Check-list of North and Middle American Birds, which is put together by the American Ornithological Society (AOS). The names of the bird families come from the Clements taxonomy.

Unless we say otherwise, all the birds listed below are usually found in Mississippi. They might live here all year, visit in summer or winter, or just pass through during migration.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are amazing swimmers! They have webbed feet, flat bills, and special oily feathers that keep them dry in the water.

• Black-bellied whistling-duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis
• Snow goose, Anser caerulescens
• Canada goose, Branta canadensis
• Trumpeter swan, Cygnus buccinator (A)
• Wood duck, Aix sponsa
• Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
• Northern pintail, Anas acuta
• Canvasback, Aythya valisineria
• Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola
• Ruddy duck, Oxyura jamaicensis

New World Quail

Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, plump birds that live on the ground. They look a bit like Old World quails but are not closely related.

• Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and their relatives. They are ground-dwelling birds, usually plump with short, wide wings. Many of them are hunted for sport or raised for food.

• Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo

Flamingoes

Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingoes are tall, wading birds, usually about 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) tall. They live in groups and filter tiny shellfish and algae from the water. Their unique beaks are used upside-down to separate food from mud!

• American flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber (A)

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds that live in freshwater. They have special lobed toes that make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, so they are clumsy on land.

• Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps
• Horned grebe, Podiceps auritus
• Eared grebe, Podiceps nigricollis

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with sturdy bodies, short necks, and slender bills. They have a soft, fleshy area at the base of their bill called a cere.

• Rock pigeon, Columba livia (I)
• Eurasian collared-dove, Streptopelia decaocto (I)
• Passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius (Ext)
• Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae

The cuckoo family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds vary in size and have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

• Yellow-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus
• Groove-billed ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris

Nightjars and Allies

Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers are colored to help them blend in with bark or leaves.

• Common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor
• Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a crescent moon.

• Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica

Hummingbirds

Order: Apodiformes Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds famous for hovering in mid-air. They can do this by flapping their wings incredibly fast. They are also the only birds that can fly backward!

• Ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris
• Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus
• Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus (A)

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds like rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They usually live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are often shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs with long toes and short, rounded wings.

• King rail, Rallus elegans
• American coot, Fulica americana
• Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus
• Black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis (Ca)

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large, tall birds with long legs and long necks. Unlike herons, which look similar, cranes fly with their necks stretched out. They are known for their fancy and noisy courtship dances.

• Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis
• Whooping crane, Grus americana (A)

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts, which are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and long, upward-curving bills. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

• Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
• American avocet, Recurvirostra americana

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, pointed wings. They usually live in open areas, especially near water.

• Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola
• Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus
• Piping plover, Charadrius melodus

Sandpipers and Allies

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of shorebirds, including sandpipers, curlews, and snipes. Most of them eat small insects and other tiny creatures they find in mud or sand. Different bill and leg lengths allow many species to feed in the same places without competing for food.

• Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda
• Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus
• Red knot, Calidris canutus
• Sanderling, Calidris alba
• American woodcock, Scolopax minor
• Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae

This family includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. They are typically gray or white, often with black markings on their heads or wings. They have strong, longish bills and webbed feet.

• Bonaparte's gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia
• Laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
• Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis
• Herring gull, Larus argentatus
• Least tern, Sternula antillarum
• Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia
• Royal tern, Thalasseus maxima
• Black skimmer, Rynchops niger

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck, but they are not related to ducks. They are mostly gray or black with spear-shaped bills. Loons are excellent swimmers but clumsy on land because their legs are at the back of their bodies.

• Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata
• Common loon, Gavia immer

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy, wading birds with long legs, long necks, and strong bills. They have wide wingspans. Unlike other wading birds, storks don't have special "powder down" to clean off fish slime. They also don't have a voice box, so they are mostly silent.

• Wood stork, Mycteria americana

Frigatebirds

Order: Suliformes Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds found over tropical oceans. They are mostly black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that they can inflate. They are amazing fliers and can stay in the air for more than a week!

• Magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes Family: Sulidae

This family includes boobies and gannets. Both are medium-large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish.

• Brown booby, Sula leucogaster (A)
• Northern gannet, Morus bassanus

Anhingas

Order: Suliformes Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas, also called darters or snakebirds, are water birds that look like cormorants. They have long necks and long, straight beaks. They eat fish and can dive for a long time. They often swim with only their neck above the water, looking like a water snake.

• Anhinga, Anhinga anhinga

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large aquatic birds, usually with dark feathers and colorful skin around their faces. Their bills are long, thin, and hooked. They have four webbed toes.

• Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum
• Neotropic cormorant, Nannopterum brasilianum

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a unique pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes.

• American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
• Brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are wading birds with long necks and legs. Herons are generally larger, and egrets are smaller. Bitterns tend to have shorter necks and are more secretive. Unlike storks, these birds fly with their necks pulled back in a curve.

• American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus
• Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
• Great egret, Ardea alba
• Snowy egret, Egretta thula
• Green heron, Butorides virescens

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings and long bodies, necks, and legs. Ibises have long, downward-curved bills, while spoonbills have straight bills that are flattened at the end.

• White ibis, Eudocimus albus
• Roseate spoonbill, Platalea ajaja

New World Vultures

Order: Cathartiformes Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures are not closely related to Old World vultures, but they look similar because they evolved to do the same job: scavenging. Like Old World vultures, they eat dead animals. But unlike them, New World vultures have a great sense of smell to find carcasses.

• Black vulture, Coragyps atratus
• Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura

Ospreys

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Pandionidae

Ospreys are birds of prey that eat fish. They have a very large, strong, hooked beak for tearing meat, strong legs, powerful claws, and excellent eyesight. There is only one species in this family.

• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. They are birds of prey with very large, hooked beaks for tearing meat, strong legs, powerful claws, and keen eyesight.

• White-tailed kite, Elanus leucurus (A)
• Swallow-tailed kite, Elanoides forficatus
• Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos (Ca)
• Bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Mississippi kite, Ictinia mississippiensis
• Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis

Barn-Owls

Order: Strigiformes Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with big heads and a special heart-shaped face. They have long, strong legs with powerful claws.

• Barn owl, Tyto alba

Owls

Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are solitary birds of prey that are active at night. They have large eyes that face forward, good hearing, a hawk-like beak, and a circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

• Eastern screech-owl, Megascops asio
• Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus
• Barred owl, Strix varia

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

• Belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues for catching insects. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks.

• Red-headed woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus
• Red-bellied woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus
• Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus
• Pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus
• Ivory-billed woodpecker, Campephilus principalis (E) (Many think this bird is extinct.)

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks instead of their claws.

• American kestrel, Falco sparverius
• Peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus

New World and African Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae

Parrots have strong, curved bills, an upright posture, strong legs, and clawed feet that can grasp things. Many parrots are brightly colored.

• Carolina parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis (Ext)
• Monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus (I)

Tyrant Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are songbirds found across North and South America. They look a bit like Old World flycatchers but are stronger and have sturdier bills. Most of them eat insects.

• Great crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus
• Eastern kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus
• Eastern wood-pewee, Contopus virens
• Eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe

Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis

Order: Passeriformes Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are small to medium-sized songbirds. They are usually greenish and look like wood warblers, but they have heavier bills.

• White-eyed vireo, Vireo griseus
• Yellow-throated vireo, Vireo flavifrons
• Red-eyed vireo, Vireo olivaceus

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds known for catching other birds and small animals. They sometimes impale their uneaten prey on thorns, like a butcher. A shrike's beak is hooked, similar to a bird of prey.

• Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, and jays. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger species are very intelligent.

• Blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata
• American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
• Fish crow, Corvus ossifragus

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes Family: Paridae

This family includes small, stocky woodland birds with short, strong bills. Some have crests on their heads. They are adaptable birds that eat a mix of seeds and insects.

• Carolina chickadee, Poecile carolinensis
• Tufted titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor

Larks

Order: Passeriformes Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small ground birds known for their often beautiful songs and display flights. Most larks have dull colors. They eat insects and seeds.

• Horned lark, Eremophila alpestris

Swallows

Order: Passeriformes Family: Hirundinidae

This family of birds is built for flying and catching food in the air. They have slender, streamlined bodies, long, pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are better for perching than walking.

• Bank swallow, Riparia riparia
• Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor
• Purple martin, Progne subis
• Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of tiny, insect-eating birds. Adult kinglets have colorful crowns on their heads, which is how they got their name.

• Ruby-crowned kinglet, Corthylio calendula
• Golden-crowned kinglet, Regulus satrapa

Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are birds with soft, silky feathers and unique red tips on some of their wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax, giving the birds their name. They live in northern forests and eat insects in summer and berries in winter.

• Cedar waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, which most other birds cannot do. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet.

• Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canadensis
• White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis
• Brown-headed nuthatch, Sitta pusilla

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curved bills that they use to pull insects out of tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which help them support themselves on vertical trees.

• Brown creeper, Certhia americana

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Polioptilidae

The Polioptilidae family includes small, insect-eating songbirds called gnatcatchers and gnatwrens.

• Blue-gray gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard to see, but they have very loud songs! They have short wings and thin, downward-curved bills. Many species hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects.

• House wren, Troglodytes aedon
• Carolina wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus
• Rock wren, Salpinctes obsoletus (A)

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Mimidae

This family includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and catbirds. They are famous for their amazing singing abilities, especially their skill at copying the sounds of other birds and outdoor noises. These birds usually have dull gray and brown feathers.

• Gray catbird, Dumetella carolinensis
• Brown thrasher, Toxostoma rufum
• Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly and often gather in large groups. They prefer open areas and eat insects and fruit. Their feathers are usually dark with a metallic shine.

• European starling, Sturnus vulgaris (I)

Thrushes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds that are plump and have soft feathers. They are small to medium-sized and eat insects or sometimes everything. They often feed on the ground. Many thrushes have beautiful songs.

• Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis
• American robin, Turdus migratorius
• Wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina

Old World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. Generally, sparrows are small, plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong, short beaks. They eat seeds but also small insects.

• House sparrow, Passer domesticus (I)

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender, insect-eating songbirds that feed on the ground in open areas. They often have medium to long tails.

• American pipit, Anthus rubescens

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae

Finches are songbirds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-sized and have strong, often cone-shaped bills. They have a bouncy flight pattern, flapping and then gliding with closed wings. Most finches sing well.

• House finch, Haemorhous mexicanus
• Purple finch, Haemorhous purpureus
• American goldfinch, Spinus tristis

New World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes Family: Passerellidae

These birds are called sparrows, but they are not closely related to the Old World sparrows. Many of them have unique patterns on their heads.

• Bachman's sparrow, Peucaea aestivalis
• Chipping sparrow, Spizella passerina
• Dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis
• White-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis
• Song sparrow, Melospiza melodia
• Eastern towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes Family: Icteriidae

This bird used to be grouped with the wood-warblers, but scientists decided it was unique enough to have its own family in 2017.

• Yellow-breasted chat, Icteria virens

Troupials and Allies

Order: Passeriformes Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized, often colorful songbirds found only in the New World. Most have black as their main feather color, often brightened with yellow, orange, or red.

• Yellow-headed blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
• Eastern meadowlark, Sturnella magna
• Orchard oriole, Icterus spurius
• Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula
• Red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
• Brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater
• Common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula

New World Warblers

Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae

Wood warblers are a group of small, often colorful songbirds found only in the New World. Most live in trees, but some live on the ground. Most members of this family eat insects.

• Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla
• Worm-eating warbler, Helmitheros vermivorus
• Bachman's warbler, Vermivora bachmanii (E) (Probably extinct)
• Black-and-white warbler, Mniotilta varia
• Prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea
• Common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas
• Hooded warbler, Setophaga citrina
• American redstart, Setophaga ruticilla
• Yellow warbler, Setophaga petechia
• Pine warbler, Setophaga pinus
• Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata

Cardinals and Allies

Order: Passeriformes Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals are a family of strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different feather colors.

• Summer tanager, Piranga rubra
• Scarlet tanager, Piranga olivacea
• Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis
• Rose-breasted grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus
• Blue grosbeak, Passerina caerulea
• Indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea
• Painted bunting, Passerina ciris

See also

• List of North American birds