Bird Checklists of the United States
Mississippi
![small state map showing location](images/dotmssta.gif)
Starkville, Mississippi
This list includes 392 species which have been recorded in Mississippi. Taxonomic arrangement and species names follow the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds, Sixth Edition, 1983, as amended in the Thirly-Fifth Supplement (Auk, July, 1985) through the Fortieth Supplement (Auk, July, 1995). Symbols indicating abundance and season incidence in the species' preferred habitat are: C-common or abundant; F-fairly common; U-uncommon; R-rare, present singly or in small numbers annually; Ca-casual, generally occurring in four to eight years during a ten year period; A-accidental, generally occurring three or fewer years during a ten year period; L-local, generally occurs in a small area of the state; G-Gulf Coast; I-inland; Ext- extirpated, no longer occurs in Mississippi; p-permanent resident; s-summer resident; w-winter resident; t-transient.
Species enclosed in brackets [ ] are undocumented by specimen or photograph but are sight records with acceptable written documentation. Species followed by an asterisk (*) have nested and have been documented by nest collection or photographs. Species followed by a double asterisk (**) have been recorded nesting in the state but have not been documented by nest collection or photographs. Species that carry the symbols R, Ca, A, or Ext warrant careful documentation.
Compiled by the Mississippi Ornithological Society Bird Records Committee April, 1997.
c - common or abundant
u - uncommon
r - rare
Ca - casual, generally occuring in four to eight years during a ten year period
A - accidental, generally occuring three or fewer years during a ten year period
L - local, generally occurs in small area of the state
G - Gulf Coast
I - Inland
Ext - extirpated, no longer occurs in the state of Mississippi
p - permanent resident
s - summer resident
w - winter resident
t - transient
[ ] - undocumented by specimen or photograph but are sight records
* - have nested in state and documented by nest collection or photographs
** - have nested but not documented by nest collection or photographs
LOONS STATUS ___ Red-throated Loon Ca ___ [Pacific Loon] A ___ Common Loon GCw; IFtUw
GREBES STATUS ___ Pied-billed Grebe* UsCw ___ Horned Grebe Fw ___ Red-necked Grebe Ca ___ Eared Grebe Uw ___ [Western Grebe] Ca
SHEARWATERS STATUS ___ [Sooty Shearwater] A ___ [Audubon's Shearwater] A
STORM-PETRELS STATUS ___ [Wilson's Storm-Petrel] A
BOOBIES & GANNETS STATUS ___ [Masked Booby] A ___ Northern Gannet GFw
PELICANS STATUS ___ American White Pelican Fw ___ Brown Pelican GCp; IA
CORMORANTS STATUS ___ [Great Cormorant] A ___ Double-crested Cormorant** RsCw ___ Neotropic Cormorant A
ANHINGAS STATUS ___ Anhinga* UsRw
FRIGATEBIRDS STATUS ___ Magnificent Frigatebird GFs; IA
BITTERNS & HERONS STATUS ___ American Bittern GUw; IUt ___ Least Bittern* Us ___ Great Blue Heron* Cp ___ Great Egret* Cp ___ Snowy Egret* Cp ___ Little Blue Heron* Cp ___ Tricolored Heron* Fp ___ Reddish Egret GRp; IA ___ Cattle Egret* CsUw ___ Green Heron* CsRw ___ Black-crowned Night-Heron Up ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* FsRw
IBISES & SPOONBILLS STATUS ___ White Ibis* Fp ___ Glossy Ibis R ___ White-faced Ibis R ___ Roseate Spoonbill Ca
STORKS STATUS ___ Wood Stork Us
SWANS, GEESE & DUCKS STATUS ___ Fulvous Whistling-Duck Ca ___ Tundra Swan Rw ___ Trumpeter Swan A ___ Greater White-fronted Goose Fw ___ Snow Goose Cw ___ [Ross'Goose] Rw ___ [Brant] A ___ Canada Goose* Cp ___ Wood Duck* Cp ___ Green-winged Teal Cw ___ American Black Duck Uw ___ Mottled Duck* GUp ___ Mallard* Cp ___ Northern Pintail Cw ___ Blue-winged Teal* RsCtUw ___ Cinnamon Teal Ca ___ Northern Shoveler Cw ___ Gadwall Cw ___ [Eurasian Wigeon] A ___ American Wigeon Cw ___ Canvasback Fw ___ Redhead Uw ___ Ring-necked Duck Cw ___ Greater Scaup Uw ___ Lesser Scaup Cw ___ King Eider A ___ Oldsquaw Rw ___ Black Scoter Rw ___ Surf Scoter Rw ___ White-winged Scoter Rw ___ Common Goldeneye Fw ___ Bufflehead Cw ___ Hooded Merganser* Cw ___ Common Merganser Rw ___ Red-breasted Merganser Cw ___ Ruddy Duck Cw
AMERICAN VULTURES STATUS ___ Black Vulture* Cp ___ Turkey Vulture* Cp
KITES, EAGLES & HAWKS STATUS ___ Osprey* GUp; IRsFt ___ Swallow-tailed Kite* Us ___ White-tailed Kite* Ca ___ Mississippi Kite* Fs ___ Bald Eagle* RsFw ___ Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk) Cw ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk Fw ___ Cooper's Hawk* UsFw ___ Northern Goshawk A ___ Harris' Hawk A ___ Red-shouldered Hawk* Fp ___ Broad-winged Hawk* Fs ___ Swainson's Hawk Ca ___ Red-tailed Hawk* Cp ___ [Ferruginous Hawk] A ___ Rough-legged Hawk A ___ Golden Eagle R
CARACARAS & FALCONS STATUS ___ Crested Caracara A ___ American Kestrel* UsCw ___ Merlin UtRw ___ Prairie Falcon A ___ Peregrine Falcon UtRw
TURKEYS & QUAIL STATUS ___ White Turkey* Fp ___ Northern Bobwhite* Cp
RAILS, GALLINULES & COOTS STATUS ___ Yellow Rail Ca ___ Black Rail A ___ Clapper Rail* Cp ___ King Rail* Up ___ Virginia Rail GUw; IUtRw ___ Sora GFw; IUtRw ___ Purple Gallinule* Us ___ Common Moorhen* Cp ___ American Coot* RsCw
LIMPKINS STATUS ___ Limpkin A
CRANES STATUS ___ Sandhill Crane* GRp; ICa
PLOVERS STATUS ___ Black-bellied Plover GFw; IUt ___ American Golden Plover Ft ___ Snowy Plover* GRp ___ Wilson's Plover* GUs ___ Semipalmated Plover GFw; IFt ___ Piping Plover GUw; IRt ___ Killdeer* Cp ___ Mountain Plover A
OYSTERCATCHERS STATUS ___ American Oystercatcher** GUp
STILTS & AVOCETS STATUS ___ Black-necked Stilt* GUp; IRs ___ American Avocet GUp; IRt
SANDPIPERS & PHALAROPES STATUS ___ Greater Yellowlegs FtUw ___ Lesser Yellowlegs CtUw ___ Solitary Sandpiper Ct ___ Willet* GFp; IRt ___ Spotted Sandpiper CtUw ___ Upland Sandpiper Ut ___ Whimbrel Rt ___ Long-billed Curlew Ca ___ Hudsonian Godwit A ___ Marbled Godwit GRw; ICa ___ Ruddy Turnstone GFw; IRt ___ Red Knot GUw; IA ___ Sanderling GCw; IUt ___ Semipalmated Sandpiper Ct ___ Western Sandpiper GCw; IFtRw ___ Least Sandpiper GCw; ICtUw ___ White-rumped Sandpiper Ut ___ Baird's Sandpiper Ut ___ Pectoral Sandpiper Ct ___ Purple Sandpiper A ___ Dunlin GCw; IFtRw ___ Stilt Sandpiper Ft ___ Buff-breasted Sandpiper Ut ___ [Ruff] A ___ Short-billed Dowitcher GFw; IUt ___ Long-billed Dowitcher GFw; IUt ___ Common Snipe Cw ___ American Woodcock* Up ___ Wilson's Phalarope GUt; IRt ___ Red-necked Phalarope Ca ___ Red Phalarope Ca
JAEGERS, GULLS, TERNS & SKIMMERS STATUS ___ Pomarine Jaeger A ___ Parasitic Jaeger Ca ___ Laughing Gull* GCp; IR ___ Franklin's Gull Rt ___ Little Gull Ca ___ Black-headed Gull A ___ Bonaparte's Gull Cw ___ Ring-billed Gull Cw ___ Herring Gull Uw ___ Lesser Black-backed Gull A ___ Glaucous Gull Ca ___ Great Black-backed Gull Ca ___ Black-legged Kittiwake Ca ___ Sabine's Gull A ___ Gull-billed Tern* GUs; IA ___ Caspian Tern** GFp; IUt ___ Royal Tern* GCp; IA ___ Sandwich Tern* GUs; IA ___ [Roseate Tern] A ___ Common Tern* GUs; IRt ___ Forster's Tern GCp; IFtUw ___ Least Tern* GCs; ILUs ___ Bridled Tern A ___ Sooty Tern A ___ Black Tern Ct ___ Brown Noddy A ___ Black Skimmer* GFp; IA
PIGEONS & DOVES STATUS ___ Rock Dove* Cp ___ [Band-tailed Pigeon] A ___ Eurasian Collared-Dove* LUp ___ White-winged Dove** GR ___ Mourning Dove* Cp ___ Common Ground-Dove GRp; ICa
CUCKOOS & ANIS STATUS ___ Black-billed Cuckoo Rt ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo* Cs ___ Groove-billed Ani GRt; IA
BARN OWLS STATUS ___ Barn Owl* Up
TYPICAL OWLS STATUS ___ Eastern Screech-Owl* Cp ___ Great Horned Owl* Cp ___ Snowy Owl A ___ Burrowing Owl Ca ___ Barred Owl Cp* ___ Long-eared Owl A ___ Short-eared Owl Uw ___ Northern Saw-whet Owl A
NIGHTHAWKS & NIGHTJARS STATUS ___ Common Nighthawk* Cs ___ Chuck-will's-widow* Cs ___ Whip-poor-will* Fs
SWIFTS STATUS ___ Chimney Swift* Cs
HUMMINGBIRDS STATUS ___ White-eared Hummingbird A ___ Buff-bellied Hummingbird Ca ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird* Cs ___ Black-chinned Hummingbird Rw ___ Anna's Hummingbird A ___ Calliope Hummingbird A ___ Broad-tailed Hummingbird A ___ Rufous Hummingbird GUw; IRw ___ Allen's Hummingbird A
KINGFISHERS STATUS ___ Belted Kingfisher* Fp
WOODPECKERS STATUS ___ Red-headed Woodpecker* Cp ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker* Cp ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Cw ___ Downy Woodpecker* Cp ___ Hairy Woodpecker* Up ___ Red-cockaded Woodpecker* LRp ___ Northern Flicker* Cp ___ Pileated Woodpecker* Fp ___ Ivory-billed Woodpecker Ext
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS STATUS ___ Olive-sided Flycatcher Ut ___ [Western Wood-Pewee] A ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee* Cs ___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Ut ___ Acadian Flycatcher* Fs ___ Alder Flycatcher Rt ___ Willow Flycatcher* AsRt ___ Least Flycatcher Ut ___ Eastern Phoebe* Cp ___ Say's Phoebe A ___ Vermilion Flycatcher Rw ___ Ash-throated Flycatcher A ___ Great-crested Flycatcher* Cs ___ [Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher] A ___ Cassin's Kingbird A ___ Western Kingbird Rt ___ Eastern Kingbird* Cs ___ Gray Kingbird* Ca ___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher* Rt
LARKS STATUS ___ Horned Lark* Cp
SWALLOWS STATUS ___ Purple Martin* Cs ___ Tree Swallow* AsCt ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow* Fs ___ Bank Swallow* LRsUT ___ Cliff Swallow* Cs ___ Cave Swallow A ___ Barn Swallow* Cs
JAYS & CROWS STATUS ___ Blue Jay* Cp ___ American Crow* Cp ___ Fish Crow* Cp
TITMICE STATUS ___ Carolina Chickadee* Cp ___ Tufted Titmouse* Cp
NUTHATCHES STATUS ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch Uw ___ White-breasted Nuthatch* Fp ___ Brown-headed Nuthatch* Fp
CREEPERS STATUS ___ Brown Creeper Fw
WRENS STATUS ___ Carolina Wren* Cp ___ Bewick's Wren* Rw ___ House Wren Uw ___ Winter Wren Fw ___ Sedge Wren Uw ___ Marsh Wren* GUp; IUtRw
KINGLETS & GNATCATCHERS STATUS ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet Cw ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet Cw ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* CsRw
THRUSHES STATUS ___ Eastern Bluebird* Cp ___ Mountain Bluebird A ___ [Townsend's Solitaire] A ___ Veery Ut ___ Gray-cheeked Thrush Ut ___ Swainson's Thrush Ft ___ Hermit Thrush Fw ___ Wood Thrush* Cs ___ American Robin* Cp
MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS STATUS ___ Gray Catbird* Ct; GUw; IUs ___ Northern Mockingbird* Cp ___ Brown Thrasher* Cp
WAGTAILS & PIPITS STATUS ___ Citrine Wagtail A ___ American Pipit Cw ___ Sprague's Pipit Ca
WAXWINGS STATUS ___ Cedar Waxwing** AsCw
SHRIKES STATUS ___ Loggerhead Shrike* Fp
STARLINGS STATUS ___ European Starling* Cp
VIREOS STATUS ___ White-eyed Vireo* CsRw ___ Bell's Vireo Ca ___ [Black-capped Vireo] A ___ Solitary Vireo Uw ___ Yellow-throated Vireo* Fs ___ Warbling Vireo* LUs ___ Philadelphia Vireo Ut ___ Red-eyed Vireo* Cs ___ [Black-whiskered Vireo] Ca
WOOD-WARBLERS STATUS ___ Bachman's Warbler Ext ___ Blue-winged Warbler Ft ___ Golden-winged Warbler Ut ___ Tennessee Warbler Ct ___ Orange-crowned Warbler Uw ___ Nashville Warbler Ut ___ Northern Parula* Cs ___ Yellow Warbler Ct ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler Ft ___ Magnolia Warbler Ct ___ Cape May Warbler Rt ___ Black-throated Blue Warbler Rt ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler Cw ___ [Black-throated Gray Warbler] A ___ Townsend's Warbler A ___ Black-throated Green Warbler Ct ___ Blackburnian Warbler Ft ___ Yellow-throated Warbler* Fs ___ Pine Warbler* Cp ___ Prairie Warbler* Fs ___ Palm Warbler GFw; IFtRw ___ Bay-breasted Warbler Ft ___ Blackpoll Warbler Ft ___ Cerulean Warbler Ut ___ Black-and-white Warbler* Cs ___ American Redstart* UsCt ___ Prothonotary Warbler* Cs ___ Worm-eating Warbler* Us ___ Swainson's Warbler* Us ___ Ovenbird** LUsFt ___ Northern Waterthrush Ut ___ Louisiana Waterthrush* Fs ___ Kentucky Warbler* Cs ___ [Connecticut Warbler] Ca ___ Mourning Warbler Rt ___ Common Yellowthroat* CsUw ___ Hooded Warbler* Cs ___ Wilson's Warbler Ut ___ Canada Warbler Ft ___ [Painted Redstart] A ___ Yellow-breasted Chat* Cs
TANAGERS STATUS ___ Summer Tanager* Cs ___ Scarlet Tanager* UsFt ___ Western Tanager Ca
CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS & ALLIES STATUS ___ Northern Cardinal* Cp ___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak Ft ___ Black-headed Grosbeak Ca ___ Blue Grosbeak* Cs ___ [Lazuli Bunting] A ___ Indigo Bunting* Cs ___ Painted Bunting* Us ___ Dickcissel* Cs
SPARROWS STATUS ___ Green-tailed Towhee A ___ Eastern Towhee* Cp ___ Bachman's Sparrow* Us ___ American Tree Sparrow Ca ___ Chipping Sparrow* FsCw ___ Clay-colored Sparrow Ca ___ Field Sparrow* FsCw ___ Vesper Sparrow Uw ___ Lark Sparrow* LRs ___ Lark Bunting A ___ Savannah Sparrow Cw ___ Grasshopper Sparrow GRw; ILRs ___ Henslow's Sparrow Rw ___ LeConte's Sparrow Uw ___ Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow GUw; ICa ___ Seaside Sparrow* GUp ___ Fox Sparrow Fw ___ Song Sparrow Cw ___ Lincoln's Sparrow UtRw ___ Swamp Sparrow Cw ___ White-throated Sparrow Cw ___ White-crowned Sparrow Fw ___ Harris' Sparrow Ca ___ Dark-eyed Junco Cw ___ Lapland Longspur Cw ___ Smith's Longspur Ca ___ Snow Bunting A
BLACKBIRDS & ALLIES STATUS ___ Bobolink Ct ___ Red-winged Blackbird* Cp ___ Eastern Meadowlark* Cp ___ Western Meadowlark Rw ___ Yellow-headed Blackbird Ca ___ Rusty Blackbird Fw ___ Brewer's Blackbird Fw ___ Boat-tailed Grackle* GCp ___ Common Grackle* Cp ___ Shiny Cowbird A ___ Bronzed Cowbird Ca ___ Brown-headed Cowbird* Cp ___ Orchard Oriole* Cs ___ Baltimore Oriole* Cs
FINCHES STATUS ___ Purple Finch Fw ___ House Finch* FsCw ___ Red Crossbill* Ca ___ Pine Siskin Cw ___ American Goldfinch* Cp ___ Evening Grosbeak Uw
OLD WORLD SPARROWS STATUS ___ House Sparrow* Cp
Locality______________________________________________________________________ Date___________________Time____________________Weather________________________ Observers_____________________________________________________________________
For more information please contact:
Terence Schiefer MOS Bird Records Committee Mississippi State University P.O. Box 9775 Mississippi State, MS 39762-9775This resource is based on the following source:
Mississippi Ornithological Society. 1997. Checklist of Birds of Mississippi. Mississippi Ornithological Society. Unpaginated.This resource should be cited as:
Mississippi Ornithological Society. 1997. Checklist of Birds of Mississippi. Mississippi Ornithological Society. Unpaginated. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online. http://www.npwrc.usgs.govmsstate.htm (Version 22MAY98).
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