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

Chapter 6:

PASSERINES, Part II
(Chickadees through Waxwings)

Mississippi Coast Arrival / Departure Records

KEY:

CHICKADEES and TITS (Paridae)

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

Permanent resident

Tufted Titmouse (Parus bicolor)

Permanent resident

NUTHATCHES (Sittidae)

(Sittinae)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 3-May 11.
JAT (pers. comm) lists September 28 record by SM in Biloxi, Harrison Co.  Year not provided.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

Nine records of 15 birds through 1987 (Toups and Jackson 1987).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): February 3, April 20, June 24, September 8, 11, 12, December 15, 29, 31.

ALL records:

Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla)

Permanent resident

CREEPERS (Certhiidae)

(Certhiinae)

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 6-March 27.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

WRENS (Troglodytidae)

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Permanent resident

Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)

Though not a "Review Species" for Mississippi, per-se, the Bewick's Wren has been seen very few times on the coast since 1974. Finding one is noteworthy--and should be carefully documented. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly scarce to find one anywhere in the eastern United States lately. Beware of pale, young Carolina Wrens.  Interestingly, Bewick's Wren was listed as a fairly common winter resident on the Mississippi coast by Burleigh (1944).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 17-March 6, May 5-27.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 24 - May 24.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Probably more common that records indicate. Listed as fairly common winter resident by Burleigh (1944).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 12-April 15.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 20 - May 11.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Permanent resident

KINGLETS (Regulidae)

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 18 - March 27.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 22 - April 28.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

GNATCATCHERS (Sylviidae)

(Polioptilinae)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

Permanent resident

THRUSHES (Turdidae)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Permanent resident

Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

No coastal records, though it has been recorded in the northern portion of the state.

Townsend's Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi)

No coastal records, though it has been recorded in the East-Central portion of the state (Forest, Scott County, east of Jackson), fide Marvin Davis (pers. comm).

Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 19--May 26; August 30-October 16.
High Count:  70 in Ansley, Hancock Co. - April 20, 1989 by Pete Dunne, JAT, other obs.

SPRING early dates:

SPRING late dates:

FALL early dates:

FALL late dates:

Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): April 1--May 31; September 12--November 2.
JAT (pers. comm) reports High Count: 15 on May 5, 1989.  Location not provided.

SPRING early dates:

SPRING late dates:

FALL early dates:

FALL late dates:

Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli)

Not officially on the Mississippi State Checklist, despite specimens collected by Burleigh (1944) as illustrated below. The location of these specimens is unknown (to me at this time). If they are unavailable for review, perhaps that is reason why the MOS Bird Records Committee hasn't acted on these records... In the past 12 years of spring and fall banding just to the east of us at Fort Morgan, Alabama, Bob Sargent's Hummer-Bird Study Group has only banded two bicknelli (B. Sargent, pers. comm). 

ALL records:

Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 31--May 31; September 13--October 29; February 18.
JAT (pers. comm) reports High Count:  20 on April 20, 1989, location not provided.  JAT also provides a November 24 record, year and location not provided.

SPRING early dates:

SPRING late dates:

FALL early dates:

FALL late dates:

WINTER records:

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 2--April 25.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Wood Thrush (Catharus mustelinus)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): March 26 - November 2.
JAT (pers. comm) lists High Count:  40 on April 20, 1989, Ansley, Hancock Co., Pete Dunne, JAT, et. al.

SPRING early dates:

FALL late dates:

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Nested on coast for first time since 1940s in spring of 1983 (Imhof 1983). Present all year, all counties.  Iin summer may be absent close to the coast, but usually present in the northern sections of our coastal counties in small numbers.

MOCKINGBIRDS and THRASHERS (Mimidae)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Practically year-round resident. Some nesting observed (Purrington 1990; Schiefer 1991).
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 10--May 30, June 22, July 16. Breeding possible.

FALL early dates:

SPRING departures:

SUMMER records:

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

Permanent resident

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Permanent resident

STARLINGS (Sturnidae)

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Permanent resident. First known nesting on coast -- April 17, 1943 (Burleigh 1944).

WAGTAILS and PIPITS (Motacillidae)

Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)

The only record of this species for Mississippi (and perhaps all of North America) was an individual found by Terence Lee Schiefer on January 31, 1992 at the Starkville sewage ponds, Oktibbeha County. It was photographed by Greg D. Jackson on February 1, 1992, the last day this bird was observed  (DeBenedictis 1995). Obviously, no coastal records.

American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): September 30--May 5.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii)

Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): November 13--February 11.

ALL records:

WAXWINGS (Bombycillidae)

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Winter resident.
Range by Toups and Jackson (1987): October 12 - June 2.

FALL early dates:

SPRING late dates:

Send broken links or other suggestions / comments to Stacy Peterson; [email protected]

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