Annotated Checklist for Birding Coastal Mississippi
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Annotated Checklist for Birding Coastal Mississippi Dickcissel, Jackson County, MS 2018 – photo by Sharon Milligan Ned Boyajian Mississippi Coast Audubon Society R evised Feb. 2018, available www.mscoastaudubon.org Introduction It has been thirty years since the publication of Birds and Birding on the Mississippi Coast by Toups and Jackson, 1987. Much of the information it presents is still valid (if you have a copy hang on to it, as it is very unlikely that it will ever be duplicated). But much has changed. Birding Coastal Mississippi, by Toups, Bird and Peterson 2004, did contain a bar graph representation of monthly occurrences that is still basically valid and was the source of some of the information in this current list. But that work is essentially a site guide with very limited species information. The first on-line source was begun by Stacy Peterson in the late 1990’s. It attempted, through a monumental amount of research, to show the arrival and departure dates of every migratory species every year. This effort proved unsuccessful due to lack od data but much of the data gathered by Stacy, and many of his cogent comments, are, with his permission, incorporated here. The goal of this checklist is to present detailed accounts of the status of the birds of the six coastal counties of Mississippi in a form that can be periodically monitored and updated Hopefully this current version represents a distinct improvement in form and content over the previous attempts. If so, it is due in large part to the guidance and comment of Paul Buckley, Jason Hoeksema, Erik Johnson, Gene Knight, Paul Lehman, Van Remsen, Terry Schiefer, Nick Winstead, and Mark Woodrey . CONTENTS [CTRL +click to follow link] FORMAT WATERFOWL Anatidae NEW WORLD QUAIL, TURKEYS Odontophoridae, Phasianidae LOONS, GREBES Gaviidae, Podicipedidae [FLAMINGOS] SHEARWATERS, STORM-PETRELS [Procellariidae], Procellariidae Hydrobatidae STORKS, FRIGATEBIRDS, BOOBIES Ciconiidae, Fregatidae, Sulidae CORMORANTS, ANHINGAS, PELICANS Phalacrocoracidae- Pelecanidae HERONS, IBISES Ardeidae.Threskiornithidae NEW WORLDVULTURES, OSPREYS, RAPTORS Cathartidae, Pandionidae, Accipitridae RAILS, CRANES Rallidae, Gruidae STILT, OYSTERCATCHERS, PLOVERS Recurvirostridae- Charadriidae SANDPIPERS, ETC Scolopacidae JAEGERS, ALCIDS, GULLS, TERNS Stercorariidae-Laridae PIGEONS, CUCKOOS Columbidae, Cuculidae BARN OWLS, OWLS Tytonidae, Strigidae NIGHTJARS, SWIFTS Capridmulgidae, Apodidae HUMMINGBIRDS Trochilidae KINGFISHERS, WOODPECKERS Alcedinidae, Picidae FALCONS [PARROTS] Falconide, [Psttacidae] TYRANT-FLYCATCHERS Tyrannidae SHRIKES, VIREOS Laniidae, Vireonidae CROWS, JAYS, LARKS Corvidae, Alaudidae 1 SWALLOWS Hirundinidae TITMICE, NUTHATCHES, CREEPERS Paridae, Sittidae, Certhiidae WRENS Troglodytidae GNATCATCHERS, KINGLETS Polioptilidae, Regulidae THRUSHES, MIMIDAE Turdidae, Mimidae STARLINGS through LONGSPURS Sturnidae through Calcariidae WOOD-WARBLERS Parulidae NEW WORLD SPARROWS Emberizidae GROSBEAKS & ALLIES Cardinalidae BLACKBIRDS & ALLIES Icteridae FINCHES Fringillidae OLD WORLD SPARROWS, MANNIKINS Passeridae, Estrildidae LOCALES INITIALED OBSERVERS SOURCES HOME FORMAT Taxonomy and nomenclature Taxonomy provisionally follows ebird usage as of January 2018.. It will be updated to follow the profound changes in the AOU Check-list, Seventh Edition, supplements 56, 57 and 58 when these changes are adopted by other standard listings (ebird, etc). Nomenclature follows current AOU usage. Criteria for initial acceptance of a species The Records Committee of the Mississippi Ornithological Society is considered the final authority. All species accepted by that organization as occurring in the six coastal counties are accorded full status. Nevertheless it is not always clear how some early sight reports were handled. Some of them seem lacking in critical data. Such reservations are noted in the accounts. *Indicates that to date we have only a sight record Sources and criteria for acceptance of subsequent records Any records published in journals such as North American Birds or The Mississippi Kite or accepted by ebird editors are deemed to have been already reviewed and accepted by competent authority. Some personal communications and unpublished records (including postings from forums such as MISSBIRD) have been accepted on a case by case basis. Christmas Bird Count Data Though review has tightened up considerably in recent years, there are a number of highly unusual, occasionally startling, sightings in the earlier years of the local counts. These are noted in the species accounts. USGS Breeding Bird Survey Data There are currently four active routes in our area: Cybur 30.7939126/-89.7137542 Benndale 30.8158367/-88.7687399 Necaise 30.6793407/-89.5109799 Latimer 30.4987757/-88.7992689 Unless stated otherwise, data are from the six most recent years. Example: “Cybur 6/6 12-20” should be read as “recorded all six years, count spread 12 to 20/year. Other sources USM Migratory Bird Research Group and several others. A full list appears in the bibliography. Sources of reference material 2 There is an astounding amount of information online. Some sites are excellent but the quality of others descends rapidly through the superficial to the inane. I have used several that I found to be first rate and that had material that was specifically pertinent to our purposes. But I doubt that I’ve even scratched the surface of useful sites. I would appreciate hearing about others. User input Unfortunately, a prominent feature of this list so far is the number of fuzzy generalizations. What are needed are specifics, and they must come from you, the observers. Numbers: Listing record high counts is certainly useful, but how many individuals you normally see: within a given area; along a certain stretch of beach; within a period of time is even more so .Dates: We need not just the extremes. When does the bulk of the population of a summer resident arrive? Leave? Over what time span do the greatest number of common transient pass through both northbound and southbound? Peak in winter? Breeding Data: How many singing male Turkey Vultures in your woodlot? Documentation Photographs: We still do not have photo documentation of many species that have been reported from the coast. Photos of adult and nest or adult and young to establish proof of nesting is also needed for many species. Documentation Specimens: You may find a road-kill or beach casualty of great interest. Here is what you do, courtesy of Nick Winstead, state ornithologist. There are legalities involved. Certain state and federal permits are required to possess a protected species. Technically this is true even it is only a dead bird intended for delivery to an authorized institution. But I don't believe problems would ensue if this were your sole intent. The Museum would be happy to take specimens, but we have to be selective in the ones we accept. Therefore if you collect a specimen please contact either Scott Peyton or me to determine if it is one we can use. If we can't use it we may be able to suggest other institutions that can. Store any specimen in a plastic bag in a freezer until it can be delivered. Be sure to include a note on collection location and date and the name of the collector. Be careful when handling dead birds. Avoid any contact between exposed skin and the bird's body fluids. Wear gloves; wash hands and other exposed surfaces; protect yourself from mosquitoes. Nick Winstead, Ornithologist, MS Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Museum of Natural Science, 2148 Riverside Dr, Jackson, MS 39202 Phone 601 354 7303 Email <[email protected]> Docuentation- Banded/Flagged Birds Bryan White, Biological Field Technician for Mississippi Audubon Coastal Bird Stewardship Program has prepared for this List an excellent illustrated guide to interperting, recording and reporting banded/flagged/marked water birds. Thanks to Janet Wright of MCAS it is available at. https://bit.ly/2G0Lzov I urge everyone to download a copy. 3 Bottom Line The success of this project will depend on the support and contributions of all of you. Please send all the records that you think pertinent, all the information you think useful and all the comment and criticism you feel warranted to me at: [email protected] or Ned Boyajian 38 Wilmon Burge Road Carriere, MS 39426 HOME WATERFOWL Anatidae Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis First coastal sighting of this recent invader. Hancock Co. 23 April 2005 NM, JT, et al. (unpubl. rec.) First documented report (photo, SM) Seaman Road 13 July 2006 (Survey Team) In 2007 there was a report from Seaman but this species was still considered rare and erratic well into 2008. Current Status Numerous in Jackson Co., mostly during the warmer months (where a regular breeder at several locations) and a regular visitor during that period to Harrison and Hancock There are now several sight records for Pearl River Co but none so far for George or Stone Counties. Winter records still few but seem to be increasing. High count to date 206 Seaman Road 6 July 2017 (Survey team) Breeding Downy young photographed as late as 11 November 2013 at Seaman Road NB (ebird) Documentation Photograph MBRC Archives Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor General status As recently as 1987 this species was considered accidental. Currently it is an irregular visitor in small numbers. The majority of records have been singles clustered in April and May. Unfortunately the wetlands favored by this and many other species are now mostly