Backyard Birds of Louisiana: Common Species & Identification (2024)

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Are you eager to learn about the backyard birds of Louisiana? Whether you’re a long-time resident or are just visiting, it’s always fun to observe and identify these feathered friends.

There are many species of birds that can be found throughout the state, from coastal marshes and woodlands to open grasslands and forests.

With over 485 different bird species identified in Louisiana alone, such as Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Northern Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves, and Carolina Wrens, there’s plenty of opportunity for backyard watching all year round!

Louisiana Birds and Birding in Louisiana State

You’ll spot many special bird visitors flockin’ to your yard in Louisiana since the state’s diverse habitats and mild winters attract over 475 observed species.

With challenging backyard birding moments like ID’ing warblers, you’ll want quality binoculars to eye Louisiana beauties like the state bird, the Brown Pelican.

Using eBird data for migration calendars helps you plan.

Attend local birding events to meet experts willing to share handy photography tips, Migration insider-knowledge to spot area specialties like the secretive Swainson’s Warbler or fancy Prothonotary Warblers.

Louisiana offers prime birding from barrier islands to hardwood forests to the mighty Mississippi River.

Connect to nature through our feathered friends by backyard birding in Sportsman’s Paradise.

Louisiana Bird Identification

Let’s explore Louisiana’s most common backyard birds for birdwatchers. The Northern Cardinal, with its bright red color, crested head, and loud whistling song, is a year-round resident you’ll often see at feeders.

Blue Jays are identified by their blue and white plumage, loud calls, and ability to mimic other birds. The Northern Mockingbird is known for its highly variable song repertoire, while the Mourning Dove is recognized by its soft cooing and long pointed tail.

The Carolina Wren‘s loud teakettle call announces its presence in shrubby yards and thickets.

Northern Cardinal

Since modern times, you often glimpse Northern Cardinals due to their widely distributed population around Louisiana’s neighborhoods. This songbird’s scarlet plumage accents winter landscapes. Their territorial whistles echo through backyard treetops as pairs defend breeding and feeding grounds.

Though urban spaces attract these birds, they thrive best near forest edges or shrubbery offering seeds and fruit. Support local habitat conservation to attract more pairs of this distinctive backyard resident.

Blue Jay

With its brilliant blue plumage and raucous calls, the blue jay is a colorful addition to Louisiana backyards. Garrulous and clever, these beautiful birds inhabit forests and backyards. They build bulky stick nests high in the trees, lay 2-7 eggs, and feed on nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and even small vertebrates.

Their raspy jay! jay! calls ring out as they fly between oaks and pines. Watch for their flashy blue, white, and black feathers and listen for their loud vocalizations to identify these intelligent jays.

Northern Mockingbird

The Northern Mockingbird’s melodious songs echo your inner joy. With over 200 song imitations in its repertoire, this talented mimic serenades you from fence posts and trees. Year-round Louisiana residents display energetic territorial defense while foraging on lawns.

Northern Mockingbirds prefer nesting in shrubs or small trees. Distinguish them from larger, crestless Northern Cardinals by white wing patches and long tails that flash in flight. Louisiana’s state bird, the Brown Pelican, inspires your spirit’s longing for freedom.

Mourning Dove

You’ll hear the moaning and cooing songs of Mourning Doves in your yard quite regularly. These ground-nesting birds create flimsy nests of sticks in shrubs and trees. Their mournful coos signal contentment.

Mourning Doves eat seeds, fruits, and insects. Their sturdy, slender bills let them pick seeds off the ground. Despite their sorrowful call, they symbolize promise, hope, and new beginnings. Attract them with millet and safflower seeds.

Enjoy observing these peaceful backyard visitors with their buff-tan plumage and bold black spots.

Carolina Wren

Sounds like y’all could hear the loud, distinctive song of the Carolina Wren in your Louisiana yard any day now.

• Nesting: They often build their nests in tree cavities or man-made structures.
• Habitat Preferences: Carolina Wrens prefer dense vegetation with shrubs and trees for cover.

Common Birds in Louisiana

In Louisiana, a remarkable diversity of birds share our yards and neighborhoods year-round. While Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Mourning Doves are common sights, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Eastern Phoebes join the choruses in summer, and White-throated Sparrows visit in winter.

Most Common Backyard Birds in Louisiana Throughout the Year

Year-round residents like Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, and Tufted Titmice brighten Louisiana yards all season long. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds dart to feeders as summer residents, while Dark-eyed Juncos scratch beneath shrubs come winter.

Careful feeder placement, fresh nectar, and sunflower seeds keep familiar flocks returning to enliven your home. Louisiana’s mild climate means avian friends flutter and sing their gratitude for your thoughtful habitat year-round.

Most Common Backyard Birds in Louisiana in Winter

The ole’ north wind whistles outside your window, chilling the bones while nuthatches and kinglets shelter in the pines, waiting for a break in the cold’s dominion.

• White-throated Sparrows descend seeking cover and feeders.
• American Goldfinches brighten bare branches with yellow plumage.
• Ruby-crowned Kinglets forage actively, revealing ruby red crown.
• Dark-eyed Juncos scatter across lawns, flashing white outer tail feathers.

The winter winds draw flocks of seasonal visitors to Louisiana yards. Strategically placed feeders attract colorful migrants escaping the harshest northern climes. Patience and keen observation reveal remarkable details of shape, color, and behavior in cold-weather guests.

Most Common Backyard Birds in Louisiana in Summer

Summer’s here, and your yard is abuzz with the plumage of pure passion as those bewitching beauties stop to nest.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Notes
Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Brilliant red males are easily spotted.
Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Intelligent and vocal.
Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Melancholy cooing song.
Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Sings all day, mimicking other birds.
Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Loud rattling call.

The welcoming warblers and hummingbirds will soon arrive to complete your backyard aviary.

Common Backyard Birds of New Orleans, Louisiana

Take a look for blue jays, American crows, downy woodpeckers, and European starlings when you’re birdwatching in your New Orleans backyard.

• Blue jays are easy to identify with their bright blue plumage and loud calls. They’re omnivorous and visit feeders often.
• Introduced European starlings flock together in large numbers and can be aggressive at feeders.
• Downy woodpeckers are the smallest woodpeckers in North America and frequent suet feeders.
• American crows are highly intelligent and social. Watch for them gathering in communal roosts.

Be sure to provide a variety of food sources like seed, suet, and nectar to attract the greatest diversity of backyard birds in New Orleans.

Joining local birding groups, recording your sightings, and sharing photos can enrich your birdwatching experience.

How to Attract Birds to Your Backyard in Louisiana

Make sure you’re waving those stale baguettes high with both hands to draw those birds near your window for prime viewing in the bayou.

Here are 5 tips for attracting birds to your Louisiana backyard:

1. Offer a variety of bird feeders, like tube feeders for seed-eaters and suet cages for insect-eaters.
2. Provide a water source like a birdbath or small pond.
3. Landscape with native plants that provide food and shelter.
4. Avoid pesticides that could poison birds.
5. Join a local birding club to learn more about Louisiana species and how to attract them.

Selecting the right bird feeders, creating a bird-friendly habitat, and learning about local species will transform your Louisiana yard into an avian paradise.

Download bird ID apps and keep your eyes peeled for visiting migrants. With a little effort, your backyard can become a rewarding place to observe Louisiana’s diverse and fascinating birds up close.

How to Identify Birds in Louisiana

Learn the unique field marks of common backyard birds like the red belly of a Red-bellied Woodpecker or white wing patches of a Northern Mockingbird.

Pay attention to behavior. A bird’s habits can be a giveaway, like the acrobatic flight of Chimney Swifts or the ground foraging of White-throated Sparrows.

Listen for songs and calls. Many birds have distinctive vocalizations that can help you identify them by ear before you even see them, like the cheeseburger call of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Invest in binoculars or a spotting scope to get better looks at key details like beak shape, eye color, and feather patterns.

Use a field guide or bird ID app to compare what you see and hear to images, range maps, and descriptions.

Birds of Louisiana

You’ll spot a Carolina wren’s distinctive song and the invasive European starling around New Orleans.

Louisiana offers a bird watcher’s paradise with over 475 species observed across diverse habitats from coastal wetlands to inland forests.

Mild winters attract migratory Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Orange-crowned Warblers.

Use bird ID apps to distinguish year-round residents like Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and Carolina Chickadees from seasonal visitors.

Choose feeders that attract specific species to your yard.

Join birding clubs exploring top hotspots like Lake Martin or Sherburne WMA to find Louisiana specialties like the Brown Pelican, state bird, or the secretive Swainson’s Warbler.

Appreciate avian diversity, from backyard regulars to passage migrants that depend on high-quality habitat.

Discover the rewards of becoming a Louisiana birder.

Top 25 Backyard Birds of Louisiana

Seein’ the top 25 feathered friends frequentin’ your yard in the Pelican State’ll make you flip your wig with excitement over all the chirpin’, tweeting, and flappin’ about.

These are the most common backyard birds in Louisiana you can expect to see:

1. Northern Cardinal
2. Tufted Titmouse
3. Carolina Wren
4. Red-bellied Woodpecker
5. Blue Jay

With proper bird feeder selection, native habitat conservation, and using birding apps to identify species, you’ll attract a diverse avian crowd.

From colorful migrants stopping by in spring to year-round residents, Louisiana offers phenomenal birdwatching.

So fill up those feeders and get ready to be amazed by the variety of birds in your own backyard!