Eleven stunning birds to see in Mississippi this summer and where to find them

Brian Broom, Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Mississippi and exotic-looking birds may not often be used in the same sentence, but they should be.

Many incredible-looking birds call Mississippi home, come to breed in summer or pass through while migrating between summer and winter homes.

One of the most noted is the beloved ruby-throated hummingbird which arrives in spring and leaves in fall, but there are many other stunning birds that everyone may not be aware of. Some, such as the roseate spoonbill and purple gallinule, prefer watery habitats which doesn't put them in everyone's view.

Some prefer habitats that aren't generally found in neighborhoods, so they're not often seen unless you go look for them where they live.

Fortunately, Mississippi has thousands of acres of public land such as national forests and state wildlife management areas and if you go, here are 11 of the most stunning birds you may encounter and descriptions from the National Audubon Society.

Pileated woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

  • Description: At 17 inches long, pileated woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in North America. They are mostly black with a red crest and white stripe on the neck. Males have a red mustache and females have a black mustache.

  • Habitat: Prefers mature forests and can also be found in woodlots that have large trees.

  • Feeding: Pileated woodpeckers feed mainly on ants and other insects they expose by gouging holes in decaying trees.

Painted bunting

Painted buntings are one of the most colorful birds that are found in Mississippi in summer.
Painted buntings are one of the most colorful birds that are found in Mississippi in summer.

Passerina ciris

  • Description: Male painted buntings are unmistakable with their blue heads and red bodies. The wings have accents of yellow and green and their length is about 5 1/2 inches. Females are plain green with few markings.

  • Habitat: Favors woodland edges and open areas with dense, low growth.

  • Feeding: Painted buntings feed mainly on seeds and insects.

Indigo bunting

The deep blue bird known as the indigo bunting can be found around lawns and at backyard feeders.
The deep blue bird known as the indigo bunting can be found around lawns and at backyard feeders.

Passerina cyanea

  • Description: Indigo buntings are also roughly 5 1/2 inches long, which is about the size of a sparrow. The vibrant blue males are truly stunning. Females are brown with fine streaks on the chest and a bluish tint on the tail.

  • Habitat: Indigo buntings can be found in brushy pastures and brushy edges of wooded areas and swamps.

  • Feeding: Indigo buntings forage for insects and seed on the ground and in bushes and trees.

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Purple gallinule

Found in wetland areas, purple gallinules are another brightly-colored species that can be seen in Mississippi in summer.
Found in wetland areas, purple gallinules are another brightly-colored species that can be seen in Mississippi in summer.

Porphyrio martinicus

  • Description: Big and brightly colored, purple gallinules are another summer stunner in Mississippi. They are about 11 inches to 13 inches long and mostly purple and green.

  • Habitat: They can be found in marshes, ponds or other slow-moving water with dense aquatic vegetation.

  • Feeding: Purple gallinules feed along the water's edge or in aquatic vegetation. They'll eat just about anything including frogs, fish, snails, seeds, fruits and sometimes young birds.

Mississippi kite

Ictinia mississippiensis

  • Description: Mississippi kites are 12 inches to 14 inches with 3-foot wingspans. They are mostly gray with a paler head.

  • Habitat: In the Southeast, Mississippi kites are generally found in groves of trees with rivers or swamps and open areas nearby.

  • Feeding: Mississippi kites feed gracefully in the air and consume mostly insects, but can eat larger prey such as small birds, frogs and snakes.

Swallow-tailed kite

Swallow-tailed kites are one of Mississippi's most striking birds of summer with their forked tails and contrasting black and white feathers.
Swallow-tailed kites are one of Mississippi's most striking birds of summer with their forked tails and contrasting black and white feathers.

Elanoides forficatus

  • Description: One of the most beautiful birds of prey, swallow-tailed kites are 22 inches to 24 inches long with a roughly 4-foot wingspan. Their black and white undersides and forked tails make them unmistakable.

  • Habitat: They are found in wooded river swamps with tall trees for nesting and open areas for hunting.

  • Feeding: Highly maneuverable, swallow-tailed kites catch insects in the air and also feed on frogs, lizards and birds that they swoop down and pick off.

Roseate spoonbill

Roseate spoonbills rest in a fresh water pond on Fort Myers Beach recently.
Roseate spoonbills rest in a fresh water pond on Fort Myers Beach recently.

Platalea ajaja

  • Description: Both beautiful and bizarre, roseate spoonbills are a flamingo-like bird that is 30 inches to 32 inches long with a wingspan over 4 feet. Their bills are long and have the appearance of a spoon.

  • Habitat: Roseate spoonbills are a wading bird that prefers shallow marshy areas and mud flats.

  • Feeding: Roseate spoonbills wade with their bills in the water and sweep them from side to side feeling for prey. They eat minnows, shrimp, crawfish and crabs and other aquatic creatures.

More: How to make your yard a hummingbird paradise and attract them spring, summer and fall

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Hummingbirds are likely the most celebrated of summer birds in Mississippi.
Hummingbirds are likely the most celebrated of summer birds in Mississippi.

Archilochus colubris

  • Description: At about 3 1/2 inches, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the smallest on the list, but certainly not the least impressive. The males are green on the back, white-chested and have an iridescent patch on the throat that is bright red under certain lighting. Females are similar without the throat patch.

  • Habitat: Ruby-throated hummingbirds prefer gardens, wood edges and a variety of semi-open habitats.

  • Feeding: Ruby-throated hummingbirds feed on nectar from flowers and hummingbird feeders as well as eat small insects.

Summer tanager

Seeing a summer tanager up close is a colorful treat.
Seeing a summer tanager up close is a colorful treat.

Piranga rubra

  • Description: Summer tanagers are 7 inches to 8 inches long and males are bright red with plain wings. Females are yellow and less green than female scarlet tanagers.

  • Habitat: Summer tanagers like wooded areas and groves, especially oaks.

  • Feeding: Summer tanagers feed mainly in tree tops and will make short flights to catch flying insects. They feed mainly on insects and berries.

Scarlet tanager

Similar to summer tanagers, male scarlet tanagers are red, but the color is deeper and they have black wings
Similar to summer tanagers, male scarlet tanagers are red, but the color is deeper and they have black wings

Piranga olivacea

  • Description: Scarlet tanagers are 7 1/2-inches long and males have vibrant red bodies with black wings and tails. Females are a greenish yellow with darker wings.

  • Habitat: Scarlet tanagers like forests and shade trees, especially oaks.

  • Feeding: Scarlet tanagers feed mostly in tall trees, especially oaks, where they find insects. They will also feed on berries.

Prothonotary warbler

Protonotaria citrea

  • Description: Male prothonotary warblers have a golden yellow head and chest with grayish wings. Females are more dull than males.

  • Habitat: Prothonotary warblers prefer swamps, flooded river bottoms and areas along ponds and rivers.

  • Feeding: Prothonotary warblers feed on insects and snails in thickets above or near water.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Eleven stunning birds to see in MS this summer

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