Birds of Mississippi

What birds are common in Mississippi?

The birds you are most likely to run into in Mississippi right now are Black Skimmer, Red-winged Blackbird, and Double-crested Cormorant. Birders reported 205 species across Mississippi on eBird during October 7–13, 2026 — the 18below are the ones that turned up on the most of those days, which is as close to “common” as sightings data gets.

• Black Skimmer Rynchops niger

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• White Ibis Eudocimus albus

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Canada Goose Branta canadensis

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Sanderling Calidris alba

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Western Cattle-Egret Ardea ibis

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

• Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

  Reported on all 5 of the 5 days checked

How this is measured: eBird publishes, for each day, every species reported anywhere in Mississippi. We count how many of the 5 days sampled (October 7–13, 2026) each species appears on and rank by that count — nothing here is estimated or modelled. Species tied on days are ordered by the total number of individuals in those records. Rarities work the other way round: rare bird alerts tell you when a bird that is not common shows up near you.