Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Conserving the Nature of America

Birds of Grand Bay NWR

Grand Bay NWR does not currently maintain its own bird checklist. Due to the proximity of Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR and the similarity of its habitats, the following bird species documented at this neighboring refuge would also be expected to occur at Grand Bay NWR. Observations of birds at the West Jackson County Land Treatment Facility portion of Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR are not included in this checklist.

If you view other birds on the refuge, please contact us to make updates. Date, type of habitat and any other information would be helpful.
Symbols in this list are defined as:
Banding
W
Winter
 Dec - Feb
Sp
Spring
 March - May
Su
Summer
 June - August
F
Fall
 Sept - Nov
 
Abundance
A
Abundant
 A common species which is very numerous        
C
Common
 Certain to be seen in suitable habitats        
U
Uncommon
 Present, but not certain to be seen        
O
Occasional
 Seen only a few times during a season        
R
Rare
 Seen at intervals of 2 - 5 years        
X
Accidental
 Has been seen once or twice        
*
Nests Locally
          
                     
Species
W
Sp
S
F
Grebes
Pied-billed Grebe
o
o
Pelicans
American White Pelican
o
o
Brown Pelican
r
Cormorants
Double-crested Cormorant
o
o
Frigatebirds
Magnificent Frigatebird
r
Herons, Egrets & Allies
American Bittern
o
o
Least Bittern
u
u
Great Blue Heron*
c
u
u
u
Great Egret
c
u
u
u
Snowy Egret
u
u
Little Blue Heron
u
u
u
u
Tricolored Heron
u
o
o
o
Cattle Egret
o
u
c
u
Green Heron*
u
u
u
u
Black-crowned Night-Heron
c
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
o
o
Ibises
White Ibis
o
o
American Vultures
Black Vulture
a
a
a
a
Turkey Vulture
c
c
c
c
Waterfowl
Snow Goose
r
Canada Goose
c
u
u
u
Wood Duck*
u
c
c
u
Blue-winged Teal
u
o
o
Green-winged Teal
u
Mottled Duck*
u
u
u
u
Mallard
r
r
Northern Shoveler
u
Gadwall
u
Redhead
o
Hooded Merganser
u
u
Kites, Hawks & Eagles
Osprey*
o
c
c
o
Swallow-tailed Kite
o
o
Mississippi Kite
o
o
Bald Eagle
o
o
Northern Harrier
c
u
u
Sharp-shinned Hawk
u
u
u
Cooper's Hawk
u
u
o
u
Red-shouldered Hawk*
u
c
c
c
Broad-winged Hawk
u
u
Red-tailed Hawk*
c
c
c
c
Golden Eagle
r
Falcons
American Kestrel
a
c
u
c
Merlin
o
Peregrine Falcon
o
Gallinaceous Birds
Wild Turkey*
u
u
u
u

Northern Bobwhite*
c
c
c
c
Rails, Gallinules & Coots
Yellow Rail
r
r
r
Clapper Rail
c
c
c
c
King Rail
u
u
u
u
Virginia Rail
o
o
o
Sora
u
u
Purple Gallinule
o
o
Common Moorhen
u
u
u
u
American Coot
c
c
o
c
Cranes
Sandhill Crane
u
u
u
u
Plovers
Black-bellied Plover
u
o
o
Semipalmated Plover
u
o
Killdeer*
a
c
u
u
Sandpipers & Phalaropes
Greater Yellowlegs
u
u
u
Lesser Yellowlegs
u
u
u
Solitary Sandpiper
u
Spotted Sandpiper
u
u
Semipalmated Sandpiper
u
u
u
Western Sandpiper
u
u
u
Least Sandpiper
u
u
u
Pectoral Sandpiper
u
u
u
Long-billed Dowitcher
o
o
o
Common Snipe
u
u
u
u
American Woodcock
u
u
u
Gulls & Terns
Laughing Gull
o
o
o
o
Least Tern
u
Doves
Rock Dove
o
o
o
o
Eurasian Collared-Dove
r
Mourning Dove*
a
a
a
a
Common Ground-Dove
u
u
u
u
Cuckoos
Black-billed Cuckoo
o
o
u
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
u
o
u
Owls
Barn Owl
o
o
o
o
Eastern Screech-Owl*
u
u
u
u
Barred Owl
u
u
u
u
Nightjars
Common Nighthawk*
u
c
c
c
Chuck-will's-widow*
u
c
c
c
Whip-poor-will
r
r
r
Swifts
Chimney Swift
c
c
Hummingbirds
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
c
u
u
Kingfishers
Belted Kingfisher*
a
a
u
a
Woodpeckers
Red-headed Woodpecker*
c
c
c
c
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*
c
c
c
c
Species
 W
Sp
Su
F
Tyrant Flycatchers
Eastern Wood-Pewee
c
u
c
Least Flycatcher
o
o
Eastern Phoebe
u
u
u
Great Crested Flycatcher
c
c
u
Eastern Kingbird*
c
c
c
Shrikes
Loggerhead Shrike*
c
c
c
c
Vireos
White-eyed Vireo*
c
c
c
c
Blue-headed Vireo
u
u
Yellow-throated Vireo
u
u
Red-eyed Vireo
u
u
Martins & Swallows
Purple Martin*
o
u
u
u
Tree Swallow*
u
u
u
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
u
u
u
Bank Swallow
u
u
u
Cliff Swallow
u
u
u
Barn Swallow
u
u
u
Jays & Crows
Blue Jay*
c
c
c
c
American Crow*
a
a
a
a
Fish Crow
c
c
c
c
Chickadees & Titmice
Carolina Chickadee*
c
c
c
c
Tufted Titmouse*
u
u
u
u
Nuthatches
Red-breasted Nuthatch
r
r
Brown-headed Nuthatch*
c
c
c
c
Wrens
Carolina Wren*
u
u
u
u
House Wren*
c
u
u
Winter Wren
u
u
u
Sedge Wren
c
c
c
Marsh Wren
u
u
u
Kinglets & Gnatcatchers
Golden-crowned Kinglet
u
u
u
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
c
u
u
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
c
c
o
u
Bluebirds, Thrushes & Robins
Eastern Bluebird*
a
c
c
c
Veery
u
u
Gray-cheecked Thrush
u
u
Swainson's Thrush
u
u
Hermit Thrust
c
u
u
Wood Thrush
u
u
American Robin*
a
c
u
c
Thrashers
Gray Catbird*
u
u
u
u
Northern Mockingbird*
c
c
c
c
Brown Thrasher*
a
a
a
a
Pipits
American Pipit
u
u
u
Waxwings
Cedar Waxwing
a
c
o
c
Starlings
European Starling*
u
u
u
u
Warblers
Tennessee Warbler
u
u
Orange-crowned Warbler
u
u
Northern Parula*
u
u
Yellow Warbler
u
u
Magnolia Warbler
o
Yellow-rumped Warbler
a
c
u
c
Black-throated Green Warbler
o
Yellow-throated Warbler
a
c
u
c
Pine Warbler*
c
c
a
c
Prairie Warbler*
c
c
u
Palm Warbler
u
o
o
Black-and-white Warbler
u
u
American Redstart
u
u
Prothonotary Warbler*
u
o
u
Worm-eating Warbler
u
u
Ovenbird
o
o
Northern Waterthrush
o
o
Kentucky Warbler
u
u
Common Yellowthroat*
u
c
c
c
Hooded Warbler*
u
c
u
Yellow-breasted Chat*
o
u
o
Tanagers
Summer Tanager
u
u
Scarlet Tanager
u
u
Sparrows
Eastern Towhee*
a
a
a
a
Bachman's Sparrow*
c
c
c
c
Chipping Sparrow
c
u
o
u
Field Sparrow
u
u
u
u
Vesper Sparrow
u
u
Savannah Sparrow
c
c
o
c
Henslow's Sparrow
c
o
o
Le conte's Sparrow
u
o
o
Fox Sparrow
u
u
u
Song Sparrow
c
u
u
Swamp Sparrow
u
u
u
White-throated Sparrow
u
u
u
Juncos
Dark-eyed Junco
c
u
u
Grosbeaks & Allies
Northern Cardinal*
a
a
a
a
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
r
r
Blue Grosbeak*
o
c
c
c
Indigo Bunting*
c
c
u
Painted Bunting
r
Dickcissel
x
Bobolink
o
o
Red-winged Blackbird
a
c
c
c
Eastern Meadowlark*
c
c
u
c
Boat-tailed Grackle*
c
c
c
c
Common Grackle
c
c
c
c
Brown-headed Cowbird*
c
c
c
c
Orchard Oriole*
x
c
c
c
Baltimore Oriole
x
u
u
Finches
Purple Finch
u
u
r
House Finch
o
o
o
o
American Goldfinch
u
u
u
Weaver Finch
House Sparrow
o
o
o
o
Last Updated: December 2008