Birds of Louisiana

The Louisiana Bird Records Committee (LBRC) identifies around 500 species dwelling in the state of Louisiana. While about 150 of them are classified as accidental, 2 have been declared extinct, 2 extirpated, and 1 hypothetical. While the finches here are on the list of small birds in Louisiana, the ferruginous hawk is one of the largest birds inhabiting the state during early spring, late autumn, and winter.

The brown pelican has been designated as Louisiana’s state bird since 1966. In fact, the bird is abundant in the southern part of the state, earning Louisiana the nickname of the ‘Pelican State’.

Birds of Louisiana

  • Brown Pelican
  • Prothonotary Warbler
  • Roseate Spoonbill
  • Red-eyed Vireo
  • Black-bellied Plover
  • Greater Yellowlegs
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  • Lesser Yellowlegs
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove
  • American Goldfinch
  • Yellow-breasted Chat
  • Whooping Crane
  • Brown Thrasher
  • Tricolored Heron
  • Pine Warbler
  • House Finch
  • American Bittern
  • Northern Mockingbird
  • Carolina Wren
  • Mallard
  • Wood Duck
  • Bald Eagle
  • Black-crowned Night Heron
  • Great Egret
  • Anhinga
  • Black-bellied Whistling Duck
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Blue Jay
  • Cedar Waxwing
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • American Avocet
  • Carolina Wren
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Ferruginous Hawk
  • Little Blue Heron
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron
  • Green Heron
  • Lesser Yellowlegs
  • Black-necked Stilt
  • Northern Parula
  • Common Moorhen
  • Purple Gallinule
  • American White Ibis
  • Pink Egret
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Swainson’s Hawk
  • White-faced Ibis
  • American Kestrel
  • Short-billed Dowitcher
  • Stilt Sandpiper
  • Northern Harrier
  • Barred Owl
  • Tree Swallow
  • Hepatic Tanager
  • Wood Stork
  • Red-shouldered Hawk
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Snowy Egret

Backyard Birds:

All-year-round: Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Northern Mockingbird, Carolina Wren

Migratory Birds

In Summer:  Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Red-eyed Vireo

In Winter: Roseate Spoonbill, Black-bellied Plover, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs

Water Birds: 

Shore Birds:  Lesser Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Swamp Birds: American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Glossy Ibis

Birds of Prey: Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Kestrel, Swainson’s Hawk

Common Birds Identification by Color

Blue Birds

  • Eastern Bluebird
  • Mountain Bluebird
  • Western Bluebird
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Little Blue Heron

Red Birds

Pink Birds

  • Pink Egret
  • Roseate Spoonbill

Brown Birds

  • Brown Pelican
  • Brown Bobby
  • Mourning Dove

Yellow Birds

  • Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • Pine Warbler
  • Common Yellowthroat
  • Great Crested Flycatcher
  • Eastern Meadowlark

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