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Gulf Islands National Seashore Birdwatching

The National Seashore comprises several diverse ecological communities which attract a wide variety of bird life. The offshore barrier islands consist of open beaches, dunes, freshwater marshes and wooded areas. On the mainland, also, are freshwater marshes, salt marshes and wooded areas which offer wildlife habitats. More than 300 species of birds have been identified within the boundaries of Gulf Islands National Seashore, since its establishment in January 1971.

Gulf Islands National Seashore
Bird Checklist

The diversity of wildlife habitats including open beaches, dunes, freshwater marshes, maritime forests, and salt marshes has attracted over300 species of birds. This list reflects information gathered inside park boundaries and in neighboring areas by park staff and local observers since 1965. In addition, accidentals such as Red-throated Loons and Bell’s Vireos have been sighted.

Abundance

c- common; 5-25 individuals per day
u- uncommon; several individuals per day or less
o- occasional; one individual perseason or less
r- rare; has occurred within the area at least once since 1965

Location

MS- Mississippi
FL- Florida

Legend:
Sp- Spring (March-May) S - Summer (June-August)
FA- Fall (September- November) Wi - Winter (December - February)

Birds
Sp
Su
Fa
Wi
Common Loon
c
o
u
c
Pied-Bill Grebe
c
r
u
c
Horned Grebe MS
o
o
u
c
FL
c
o
u
c
Eared Grebe
r
-
o
o
Masked Booby MS
-
r
-
-
FL
-
u
-
-
Brown Booby MS
-
r
-
-
FL
-
u
-
-
Northern Gannet MS
r
r
o
u
FL
u
u
o
u
American White Pelican
u
u
u
u
Brown Pelican
c
c
c
c
Double-crested Cormorant
c
u
u
c
Anhinga FL only
r
r
r
-
Magnificent Frigatebird
u
u
o
r
American Bittern
u
-
u
u
Least Bittern
u
u
u
r
Great Blue Heron
c
c
c
c
Great Egret
u
u
u
u
Snowy Egret
u
u
u
u
Little Blue Heron
u
u
u
u
Tri-colored Heron
u
u
u
u
Reddish Egret
u
u
o
o
Cattle Egret
u
c
u
o
Green Heron
u
c
c
o
Black-crowned Night-Heron
o
-
o
u
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
u
c
u
r
White Ibis
o
o
u
r
Snow Goose FL only
o
-
o
o
Wood Duck
u
u
u
u
Green-winged Teal
u
-
u
u
American Black Duck FL only
r
-
-
r
Mottled Duck
o
u
u
o
Mallard
o
-
u
u
Northern Pintail
r
-
-
r
Blue-winged Teal
c
-
u
r
Northern Shoveler
r
-
o
r
Gadwall
o
-
o
o
American Wigeon
o
-
-
o
Canvasback
o
-
o
o
Redhead
u
-
o
u
Ring-necked Duck
o
r
o
o
Greater Scaup
o
-
-
u
Lesser Scaup
c
o
o
c
Oldsquaw MS
r
-
-
r
FL
o
-
-
u
Black Scoter MS
-
-
-
r
FL
-
-
-
o
Surf Scoter MS
-
-
-
r
FL
-
-
-
o
White-winged Scoter MS
-
-
-
r
FL
-
-
-
o
Common Goldeneye
u
-
-
c
Bufflehead
u
-
-
c
Hooded Merganser
o
-
-
u
Red Breasted Merganser
c
o
o
c
Ruddy Duck MS
o
-
-
c
FL
o
-
-
o
Black Vulture MS
u
u
u
c
FL
-
-
o
o
Turkey Vulture MS
o
o
o
c
FL
o
o
o
o
Osprey
u
u
u
o
Swallow-Tailed Kite
o
o
-
-
Mississippi Kite MS
o
o
u
-
FL
o
u
u
-
Bald Eagle
o
o
o
o
Northern Harrier
u
o
u
u
Sharp-shinned Hawk
o
-
u
u
Cooper's Hawk
o
-
u
u
Red-Shouldered Hawk
o
o
o
o
Broad-winged Hawk
o
o
c
-
Red-tailed Hawk
o
o
o
o
American Kestrel MS
u
u
u
c
FL
o
o
u
c
Merlin
o
-
o
o
Peregrine Falcon MS
r
-
r
r
FL
o
-
o
o
Northern Bobwhite
o
-
o
o
Clapper Rail
c
c
c
c
King Rail
o
o
o
o
Virginia Rail
u
-
u
u
Sora
u
-
u
o
Purple Gallinule
o
o
o
-
Common Moorhen
u
u
u
o
American Coot
c
o
c
c
Black-bellied Plover
c
u
c
c
American Golden Plover
o
-
r
-
Snowy Plover
u
u
u
u
Wilson's Plover
r
r
o
-
Semipalmated Plover
u
o
u
o
Piping Plover
o
o
o
u
Killdeer
c
o
c
c
American Oystercatcher
r
-
r
-
Black-necked Stilt
r
-
r
-
American Avocet
r
-
r
-
Greater Yellowlegs
o
-
o
u
Lesser Yellowlegs
u
-
o
o
Solitary Sandpiper
r
-
r
-
Willet
c
c
c
c
Spotted Sandpiper
c
u
c
u
Upland Sandpiper
r
-
o
-
Whimbrel
o
-
o
-
Long-billed Curlew
-
-
r
-
Marbled Godwit
r
r
r
-
Ruddy Turnstone
c
o
c
c
Red Knot
o
o
o
o
Sanderling
c
u
c
c
Semipalmated Sandpiper
u
u
c
-
Western Sandpiper
u
r
c
o
Least Sandpiper
u
-
u
u
White-rumped Sandpiper
o
-
-
-
Baird's Sandpiper
r
-
r
-
Pectoral Sandpiper
u
-
u
r
Dunlin
c
o
c
c
Stilt Sandpiper
o
-
o
-
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
-
-
r
-
Short-billed Dowitcher
u
o
u
o
Long-billed Dowitcher
-
r
-
-
Common Snipe
c
-
u
c
American Woodcock FL only
o
-
-
o
Wilson's Phalarope
-
r
r
-
Laughing Gull
c
c
c
c
Bonaparte's Gull
c
-
-
c
Ring-billed Gull
c
u
u
c
Herring Gull
c
o
u
c
Glaucous Gull
-
-
-
r
Great Black-backed Gull MS
r
-
r
r
FL
o
-
r
o
Gulf-billed Tern
u
u
-
r
Caspian Tern
o
o
o
-
Royal Tern
c
c
c
c
Sandwich Tern
c
u
c
r
Common Tern
o
o
u
r
Forester's Tern
c
c
c
c
Least Tern
c
c
u
-
Sooty Tern
-
r
r
-
Black Tern
u
u
c
r
Black Skimmer
c
c
c
o
Rock Dove
u
u
u
u
Eurasian Collared Dove FL only
u
u
u
u
White-winged Dove
r
-
-
r
Mourning Dove
c
c
c
c
Common Ground Dove
u
u
u
u
Black-billed Cuckoo MS
o
o
o
-
FL
o
-
o
-
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
u
-
u
-
Groove-billed Ani
r
-
o
o
Barn Owl
o
o
o
o
Eastern Screech Owl MS
u
c
c
c
FL
c
c
c
c
Great Horned Owl
u
u
u
u
Burrowing Owl FL Only
o
-
o
o
Barred Owl
o
o
o
o
Short-eared Owl FL only
-
-
r
o
Common Nighthawk
c
c
u
-
Chuck-will's widow
c
c
u
-
Whip-poor-will
o
-
o
o
Chimney Swift
u
c
u
r
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
u
o
u
-
Belted Kingfisher
u
o
c
c
Red-headed Woodpecker MS
u
u
u
o
FL
u
o
u
o
Red-bellied Woodpecker
c
c
c
c
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
u
-
u
u
Downy Woodpecker
c
c
c
c
Hairy Woodpecker
o
o
o
o
Northern Flicker
c
c
c
c
Pileated Woodpecker
u
u
u
u
Eastern Wood Pewee
u
u
c
-
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher MS
-
-
r
-
FL
-
-
o
-
Acadian Flycatcher
u
u
u
-
Least Flycatcher
r
-
o
-
Eastern Phoebe
u
-
c
u
Great Crested Flycatcher
c
c
c
-
Western Kingbird
-
-
o
r
Eastern Kingbird
c
c
c
-
Gray Kingbird
o
c
o
-
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
r
-
o
-
Purple Martin
c
c
c
o
Tree Swallow MS
u
-
c
c
FL
u
-
c
o
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
u
o u -
Bank Swallow
r
r
o
-
Cliff Swallow FL only
o
-
o
-
Barn Swallow
c
c
c
r
Blue Jay
c
c
c
c
Fish Crow
c
c
c
c
Carolina Chickadee
c
c
c
c
Tufted Titmouse
c
c
c
c
Red-breasted Nuthatch
r
-
u
r
Brown-headed Nuthatch
c
c
c
c
Brown Creeper
-
-
o
r
Carolina Wren
c
c
c
c
House Wren MS
u
-
c
c
FL
c
-
c
c
Winter Wren
-
-
r
r
Sedge Wren
o
-
o
o
Marsh Wren
c
c
c
c
Golden-crowned Kinglet
o
-
o
o
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
c
-
c
c
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
c
u
c
u
Eastern Bluebird
u
u
c
u
Veery
u
-
u
-
Gray-cheeked Thrush
u
-
u
-
Swainson's Thrush
u
-
u
-
Hermit thrush
u
-
u
u
Wood Thrush MS
u
c
u
-
FL
u
u
u
-
American Robin
u
-
c
c
Gray Catbird MS
c
o
c
u
FL
c
-
c
u
Northern Mockingbird
c
c
c
c
Brown Thrasher
c
c
c
c
Cedar Waxwing
c
-
u
c
Loggerhead Shrike
u
u
u
u
European Starling
c
c
c
c
White-eyed Vireo
c
c
c
o
Blue-headed Vireo
u
-
o
u
Yellow-throated Vireo
u
u
o
-
Warbling Vireo
r
-
r
-
Philadelphia Vireo
o
-
o
-
Red-eyed Vireo
c
u
c
r
Black-whiskered Vireo
o
r
-
-
Blue-winged Warbler
o
-
o
-
Golden-winged Warbler
o
-
o
-
Tennessee Warbler
u
-
u
-
Orange-crowned Warbler
u
-
u
u
Nashville Warbler
o
-
o
r
Northern Parula
c
c
c
-
Yellow Warbler
u
u
c
-
Chestnut-sided Warbler
o
-
u
-
Magnolia Warbler
u
-
u
r
Cape May Warbler
u
-
r
-
Black-throated Blue Warbler
o
-
o
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler
c
-
c
c
Black-throated Green Warbler
o
-
u
o
Blackburnian Warbler
o
-
o
-
Yellow-throated Warbler
u
u
u
o
Pine Warbler
c
c
c
c
Prairie Warbler
u
o
u
r
Palm Warbler
u
-
u
o
Bay-breasted Warbler
o
-
o
-
Blackpoll Warbler
u
r
u
-
Cerulean Warbler
o
-
o
-
Black-and-white Warbler
c
-
c
r
American Redstart
u
-
u
r
Prothonotary Warbler
c
u
c
-
Worm-eating Warbler
o
-
o
-
Swainson's Warbler
o
-
o
-
Northern Waterthrush
o
-
o
-
Louisiana Waterthrush
o
o
o
-
Kentucky Warbler
o
o
o
-
Mourning Warbler
-
-
r
-
Common Yellowthroat
c
c
c
c
Hooded Warbler
u
u
u
-
Wilson's Warbler
r
-
o
r
Canada Warbler
o
-
o
-
Yellow-breasted Chat
o
o
o
-
Summer Tanager
u
u
u
-
Scarlet Tanager
u
-
u
-
Northern Cardinal
c
c
c
c
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
u
-
u
-
Blue Grosbeak
u
u
u
r
Indigo Bunting
u
u
u
r
Painting Bunting
o
r
r
-
Dickcissel
o
-
o
r
Eastern Towhee
c
c
c
c
Chipping Sparrow
u
-
u
c
Clay-colored Sparrow
-
-
r
-
Field sparrow
u
-
u
c
Vesper Sparrow
o
-
o
o
Lark Sparrow
r
-
o
r
Savannah Sparrow
u
-
u
c
Grasshopper Sparrow MS
r
-
-
r
FL
r
-
-
-
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
o
-
o
o
Seaside Sparrow
o
-
o
-
Fox Sparrow
-
-
-
r
Song Sparrow
u
-
o
c
Lincoln's Sparrow
r
-
r
r
Swamp Sparrow
c
-
o
c
White-throated Sparrow
c
-
u
c
White-crowned Sparrow
o
-
o
o
Dark-eyed Junco
-
-
o
o
Bobolink
u
-
r
-
Red-winged Blackbird
c
c
c
c
Eastern Meadowlark
u
u
u
u
Yelow-headed Blackbird
r
r
r
r
Brewer's Blackbird
-
-
r
r
Boat-tailed Grackle MS
c
c
c
c
FL
o
o
o
o
Common Grackle
c
c
c
c
Brown-headed Cowbird
c
c
c
c
Orchard Oriole
u
c
u
-
Baltimore Oriole
o
-
u
r
Purple Finch
r
-
r
u
House Finch
c
c
c
c
Pine Siskin
o
-
-
o
American Goldfinch
c
-
u
c
House Sparrow
c
c
c
c

Information provided by:
National Park Service