Passerines pages initiated July 20, 1999. Last updated:  February 18, 2003

Chapter 5:

PASSERINES, Part I
(Tyrant Flycatchers through Swallows)

Mississippi Coast Arrival / Departure Records

KEY:

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS (Tyrannidae)

(Fluvicolinae)

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)

After the initial sighting in 1960 (Williams and Clawson 1960), unrecorded again until 1978 (Toups and Jackson 1987).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 19 - October 21; Fall only
JAT (pers. comm) reports two early dates of August 15 and August 17 in different years; exact year unknown.

FALL early dates:

FALL late dates:

Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)

Only a single record, confirmed by song. Other silent birds may have been passed over as Eastern Wood-Pewees, but as always, caution is the key word...

ALL records:

Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)

Visitor from spring through fall. Breeding confirmed.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 27 - November 12

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris)

Occurrence of Empidonax flycatchers is problematic in many (most?) cases unless the birds happen to be singing. Many records here should be taken with a grain of salt...
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): May 3-12, August 9-October 13, November 3.
JAT (pers. comm) reports the following dates without year:  May 13 & April 2.

All SPRING records:

All FALL records:

Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens)

Sings in spring. Nests locally in small numbers. Fall bird silent and difficult to identify; hence paucity of records…
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 8 - November 8

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)

Does not sing on coast. Very difficult to identify silent birds. To confound matters, all records of certainty were specimens collected when this species was lumped with Willow Flycatcher into "Traill's Flycatcher." Therefore, many records of early specimens were keyed only as "Traill's," including the earliest collected by A. Allison on September 6, 1899 at Bay St. Louis, Hancock Co. (Gandy & Turcotte 1970). Since currently there are limited mist-netting or collecting activities taking place in this region, our current understanding of the status of the "Traill's Flycatcher" complex on the coast is poorly understood. Toups and Jackson (1987) lists temporal distribution as August 9 - October 8 based on historic specimens (Burleigh 1944). The only spring record I'm aware of is a sight record by C. Delmas and D. McKee at Bellefontaine in Jackson Co. on May 4, 1997 (CD, pers. comm).

Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)

See notes from Alder Flycatcher above. Only one record has been positively identified as Willow Flycatcher as of 1987. It was from a specimen - a bird collected by Burleigh (1944) on September 24, 1941 and later identified in 1970 by Allan R. Phillips. This specimen is # 6019 at the LSU Museum of Natural History in Baton Rouge, LA (Toups and Jackson 1987).

Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)

Contrary to most empids, Least Flycatcher will vocalize in fall. There are a few fall records during this period based on vocalization, but most of the records were collected by Burleigh (1944). There are very few spring records--perhaps because it is often silent during that period.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): July 31 - November 9.
JAT (pers. comm) reports record of a bird on East Ship Island, April 7, year unknown.

SPRING records:

FALL early dates:

FALL late dates:

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Common winter resident
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 14 - May 9

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)

While on the state list, there are no records for this species from the coast. Perhaps there should be, so keep your eyes open!

Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 7 - March 16, April 21-29.
3 at Texas Flat Road, Hancock Co, December 11, 1999, CD, TiG, m.ob., (CD, pers. comm)

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

(Tyranninae)

Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)

Birders should use extra caution when identifying this rare (to us) species; a race of Brown-crested Flycatcher looks very similar. Although Brown-crested Flycatcher has been confirmed on a number of occasions in Louisiana, it has yet to be identified in Mississippi. Here's your chance for fame!

ALL records:

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)

This noisy critter should not be missed on the coast in spring through fall. Common nester.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 18--November 2.

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes luteiventris)

This is the only record of Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher outside the temporal window of vagrancy for the southeast (J.V. Remsen, pers. comm), which in the spring ranges from late April through early May, and in the fall ranges from late September through early October. Sightings outside that window may pertain to the even more rare but similar-appearing Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus), or Variegated Flycatcher (Empidonomus varius), or Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius). Passerines which winter entirely within South America, as does Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, are virtually unknown in the United States during that season (J.V. Remsen, pers. comm). Birders finding a "Sulphur-belly" during winter should document their findings carefully and thoroughly.

ALL records:

Cassin's Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans)

While on the state list, there are no records for this species from the coast. Perhaps there should be, so keep your eyes open!

Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): August 7 - January 29.

SPRING records:

SUMMER records:

FALL early dates:

WINTER late dates:

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Summer resident.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 18 - November 9.
Most appear to depart by late August.  Stragglers remain through October and into November.

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis)

First collected in Mississippi on Bellefontaine Beach, Jackson County, April 28, 1962, SGC, LEW, (Clawson and Williams 1962; Gandy & Turcotte 1970; Weber and Jackson 1977b). The second record was from Horn Island (May 23, 1963 by HDH; Haberyan 1963b) where they were annual in spring and summer from 1963 through 1969, though many of the reports (by DMB and JDL) were previously unpublished. In August 17 and 18, Hurricane Camille smacked the island with 200 mph winds. Gray Kingbirds were apparently absent until 1974. Weber and Jackson (1977b) provide a good overview of Gray Kingbirds on the coast up to that time. First confirmed nesting of this species in Mississippi was on Horn Island, Jackson County, June 28, 1976, photograph by JAJ (Stewart 1976; Weber and Jackson 1977b). Present most of summer 1977 (Weber and Jackson 1977a). Nested again on the island in July, 1978, (J. Jackson and Cooley 1978a,b). Five pairs discovered on Horn Island summer of 1979 (J. Jackson 1979a).

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 13 - September 11.
Dated records available for the mainland (and unseasonable offshore records) include the following:

ALL mainland and unseasonable offshore records:

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 14-May 10, October 5-November 26.
JAT (pers. comm) lists August record, date and year unknown, from Seaman Road Lagoon, Jackson Co., observed by Ray Knight.  JAT also lists September 25 record, year unknown, from Waveland Lagoon, Hancock Co. - LLK, JAT.

SPRING records:

FALL early dates:

WINTER late dates:

SHRIKES (Laniidae)

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Permanent resident

VIREOS and ALLIES (Vireonidae)

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

Present all year. Has been noted to breed. Spring and fall populations buoyed by migrants.

Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): July 30 - November 11.

ALL records:

Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus)

Another fantastic record from the coast that boggles the imagination. Not one, but two (a pair) of Black-capped Vireos were reported.

ALL records:

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)

Summer resident. Winter records along the Gulf Coast, including Louisiana (J.V. Remsen, pers. comm.) and Mississippi (T.L. Schiefer, pers. comm.) have yet to be substantiated by tangible evidence. Observers under such circumstances are encouraged to obtain photographs wherever possible.  Many such winter reports probably pertain to the highly variable Pine Warbler.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 15 - November 1

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

WINTER records:

Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)

This species was recently split from the "Solitary Vireo" complex. Historical records often made little distintion between the races, but this species is by far the more expected. The other two western species, Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeus) and Cassin's Vireo (Vireo cassinii), have never been confirmed in the state and are exceedingly rare even in Louisiana, closer to their natural ranges (J.V. Remsen, pers. comm).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 13 -- April 26.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 9--May 25; September 18-23.

SPRING early dates:

SPRING late dates:

FALL records:

Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 20--May 26; September 19--November 6.

SPRING early dates:

SPRING late dates:

FALL early dates:

FALL late dates:

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)

Summer resident.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 16--November 17.

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus)

Based on the frequency of which this species is found just to our east at Fort Morgan, Alabama, and to our southwest on Grand Isle, Louisiana, Black-whiskered Vireo MUST be more "common" on the Mississippi coast than records indicate. Perhaps an increase in observer vigilance will tally a few more records for this state.

ALL records:

JAYS and CROWS (Corvidae)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Permanent, conspicuous resident. Interesting notes: Mass migrations offshore observed (McGraw et al. 1973; Gunter 1975).

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Abundant permanent resident.

Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)

Common permanent resident. Often closely tied to coastline. Listen for it's frog-like, croaking, two-note call (ca-ca).

LARKS (Alaudidae)

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)

No records indicated in Toups and Jackson (1987), and while not a formal "Review Species" for the state the bird is listed in the state "Review List" as one needing extra documentation for the coast. I'm looking for all records at this time!

ALL records:

SWALLOWS (Hirundinidae)

(Hirundininae)

Purple Martin (Progne subis)

Toups and Jackson (1987) state that scouts and stragglers may account for records outside of March through mid-September.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): January 28 - October 24, November 2, December 8-25.

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

WINTER records:

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

Abundant (not sure that word can be emphasized enough) winter resident. Numbers in the hundreds of thousands have been recorded on the South Hancock County CBC.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): July 28 - May 15.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 8 - November 6, November 28, December 18, February 26.

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

WINTER records:

Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 24 - May 29, July 20-October 26, November 3-6.

SPRING early dates:

SPRING late dates:

FALL early dates:

FALL late dates:

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)

First nesting observed June 1986 at US Hwy 90 Pearl River bridge (Spence and Toups 1986; J. Jackson and Hodges 1986). During spring of 1997, about 70% of Cliff Swallows nesting at that location had dark foreheads, suggestive of P. melanogaster (Purrington 1997).  Similar birds have been found in the colony in Ansley (SJP, pers. obs.)
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 18-October 20.

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)

The state's only accepted record is that of a carcass washed up on Horn Island beach (noted below). This species breeds regularly in Louisiana, and has been reported on the western edge of the Pearl River Bridge between LA and MS (Mac Myers, pers. comm). This species might be expected to expand its range eastward into our region at any time, if it hasn't done so already. Nests have been inspected in Cliff Swallow colonies under overpasses within the first 10 miles of I-10 east of LA which bear a striking resemblence to Cave Swallow nests (Bob Doe and Stacy Peterson, pers. comm). But no swallows, Cave or otherwise, were observed using them. Observers should carefully monitor Cliff Swallow nest colonies for this rare bird--and carefully document their findings.

ALL records:

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 9 - December 23. First mainland nesting noted by Ben Coffey on the Gulfport municipal pier, 1956 (Turcotte, W.H 1956).

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

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