Non-Passerines pages initiated March 20, 2000; Last updated:  February 18, 2003

Chapter 2:

Non-PASSERINES, Part II
(Hawks through Coots)

Jump to:
OSPREY -- Osprey -- KITES -- Swallow-tailed, White-tailed, Mississippi -- EAGLES -- Bald, Golden -- HAWKS -- Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Goshawk, Harris's, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged, Swainson's, Red-tailed, Ferruginous, Rough-legged -- CARACARAS -- Crested -- FALCONS -- Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Prairie -- TURKEY -- Wild Turkey -- QUAIL -- Bobwhite -- RAILS -- Yellow, Black, Clapper, King, Virginia, Sora -- LIMPKIN -- Limpkin -- CRANES -- Sandhill -- MUDHENS -- Gallinule, Moorhen, Coot

Return to Chapter Index for more species

KEY:

OSPREY (Falconiformes Pandionidae)

(Pandioninae)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

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Year-round resident.

HAWKS, EAGLES and KITES (Falconiformes Accipitridae)

(Accipitrinae)

Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)

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First nesting record for the state: June 20, 1982 - Bluff Creek, Vancleave, Jackson County (Izral 1982).
Summer resident.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 8 - August 2

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)

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Accidental. Has bred (Toups and Jackson 1987). First reported on the coast at Port Bienville, Hancock County on October 26, 1982 (Toups and Jackson 1987).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): All months except July. The majority of sightings restricted to western Hancock County.

Selected records:

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 15 - September 18.
High Count - 47 birds, April '98 (fide JAT, pers comm)

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

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First nesting record in Mississippi in 50 years - winter '74/'75 - Big Biloxi River, Harrison Co. (Turcotte 1975). Had previously nested on Barrier Islands (Burleigh 1944).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 15 - June 5.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 1 - May 10, June 5-19.
High Count - 47 birds, December 28, 1988, fide JAT (pers. comm)

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records:

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 8 - May 23.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

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Year round resident.

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)

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No substantiated coastal records (JAT, pers. comm), but records to the north of us in the state include a sight record from March 29, 1992 in Layfayette County (Muth 1992), a specimen record from March 1993 (Davis 1996), and several additional records (Schiefer 1998b).

Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)

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Accidental. Status as a falconer's bird always makes extralimital sightings of Harris's Hawk suspect.

All records:

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

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Recorded all months.

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)

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First confirmed nesting on coast, Logtown, Hancock Co., July 1986 (Hodges and Toups 1986).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 22 - October 25, November 13.

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

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Rare to Unusual. All records fall between October 20 and March 27 (Toups and Jackson 1987).
Records in which the year and exact location are uncertain come fide JAT (pers. comm); April 24, 19__ and October 29, 19__.

All records in seasonal order:

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

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Present year round.

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

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Accidental.

All records:

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

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Accidental.

All records:

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

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Rare to Unusual.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): November 1 - February 25; only about 8 apparently valid records.

All records:

CARACARAS and FALCONS (Falconiformes Falconidae) (Caracarinae)

Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus)

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Accidental. First record was from central Mississippi, (Hillside National Wildlife Refuge, Holmes County) on March 13, 1981 (Woodson and McClellan 1981).

All records:

(Falconinae)

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

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Recorded all months.

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 22 - May 10.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 13 - June 2. 

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records:

Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)

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Accidental. The only well-documented records are of a bird presumed returning to winter at Enid Dam, George Payne Cossar State Park, Yalobusha County, 1991 / 19922 through 1999 / 2000 (Davis et. al. 1992; WMD pers. comm). Unpublished sight records exist for the coast as follows.

All records

TURKEYS (Galliformes Phasianidae)

(Meleagridinae)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

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Recorded all months.

WOOD-PARTRIDGES (Galliformes Odontophoridae)

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)

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Recorded all months.

RAILS and COOTS (Gruiformes Rallidae)

Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): Perhaps more common than records indicate, given it's natural secretiveness...

All records:

Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis)

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Similarity to young Clapper and King Rails in summer may make identification difficult, and may cause question to some records during this season.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 7 - April 12.

All records:

Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris)

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Recorded all months.

King Rail (Rallus elegans)

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Recorded all months.

Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 26 - April 28.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Sora (Porzana carolina)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 16 - May 12.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records:

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 1 - November 29.

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

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Recorded all months.

American Coot (Fulica americana)

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Recorded all months.

LIMPKIN (Gruiformes Aramidae)

Limpkin (Aramus guarauna)

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On the state checklist. Need to ascertain details. Not from coast, though...

CRANES (Gruiformes Gruidae)

(Gruinae)

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

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Local resident race (endangered) G. c. pulla recorded all months.  Numbers sometimes augmented by migratory "Greater" Sandhill Cranes in spring and fall.

PLOVERS and LAPWINGS (Charadriiformes Charadriidae)

(Charadriinae)

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

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Present all year.

American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 22 - May 7.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records

Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

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First mainland nesting record - June 1977 (Hays 1978).
Recorded all months.

Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 3 - November 3, December 21, January 3.

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

Winter records:

Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)

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Recorded all months.

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

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Recorded all months.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

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Recorded all months.

Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus)

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No coastal records found. The first (and only?) record for Mississippi comes from Grenada Lake, Grenada County on December 17, 1988 (Davis and Knight 1989).

OYSTERCATCHERS (Charadriiformes Haematopodidae)

American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 25 - May 30.
High numbers:  15 on October 12, 2001 in Hancock Co. - NB, (pers. comm); 13 on March 2, 1996 at Greenwood Island, Jackson County -- JRP, DMc, CD, (CD, pers. comm).
July records do exist (JAT, pers. comm), making this bird possible year-round, particularly on the barrier islands.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records:

STILTS and AVOCETS (Charadriiformes Recurvirostridae)

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

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First coast record - September 24, 1960 - Bayou Cassotte, Jackson Co. - (Gandy & Turcotte 1970; Toups and Jackson 1987).
First nesting record - 1977 - Pascagoula R. Marsh, Jackson Co. - (Weber et al. 1978).
Recorded all months.

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

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Recorded all months.
High numbers:  25 on April 20, 1996 at Greenwood Island, Jackson County -- AH, DMc, CD, (CD, pers. comm).

SANDPIPERS (Charadriiformes Scolopacidae)

(Scolopacinae)

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

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Recorded all months.

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

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Recorded all months.

Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): February 23 - June 3; July 15 - October 19.

Spring early dates:

Spring late dates:

Fall early dates:

Fall late dates:

Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)

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Recorded all months.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitus macularia)

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Recorded all months.

Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 16 - April 30; August 12 - September 17.

Spring early dates:

Spring late dates:

Fall early dates:

Fall late dates:

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 31 - June 7; August 12 - November 11. 

Spring early dates:

Spring late dates:

Fall early dates:

Fall late dates:

Winter records:

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 15 - May 10.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)

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Accidental.

All records:

Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): July 3 - May 27.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

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Recorded all months.

Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

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Recorded all months.

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): July 24 - June 15. 

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 20 - October 14.

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)

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Recorded all months.

Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

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Recorded all months.

White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 22 - June 23; July 15 - September 5.

Spring early dates:

Spring late dates:

Fall early dates:

Fall late dates:

Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 22 - May 4; July 20 - November 10. 
See also Schiefer and Hodges (1987) for a review of the status of this bird in the state.

Spring early dates:

Spring late dates:

Fall early dates:

Fall late dates:

Winter records:

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 8 - October 15, November 21, December 15, 18.

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

Winter records:

Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)

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All records:

Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

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Recorded all months. 

Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 8 - December 15.

Spring early dates:

Fall late dates:

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 27 - May 11, June 1; August 11 - October 29.

Spring early dates:

Spring late dates:

Fall early dates:

Fall late dates:

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

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All records:

Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)

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Recorded all months.

Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)

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Recorded all months. 

Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 17 - May 6.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records:

American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 13 - May 1. Breeds in very low densities in southern Louisiana (D. Muth, pers. comm), perhaps it does so on our coast as well, accounting for the sporadic summer records.

Fall early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records:

(Phalaropodinae)

Wilson's Phalarope (Steganopus tricolor)

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Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 9 - October 26, January 3.

Spring early dates:

Spring late dates:

Summer records:

Fall early dates:

Fall late dates:

Winter records:

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

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First coast record -- September 10, 1977 - Pascagoula R. Marsh, Jackson Co. - (Toups and Jackson 1987). Status still unclear. All records needed to better understand status.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 26 - May 20; June 6-7, September 5-11.

All records:

Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicaria)

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Accidental.

All records:

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