< Return to Topics of Interest

By Brian Fortson

The remaining wild places in St. Tammany Parish provide habitat for a huge variety of avian life. From the wading birds of the wetland environments, to the migratory song birds of the pine forests, birding opportunities are abundant.

The swamps are home to the majestic great blue heron and the iconic snowy egret. Many other species of wading birds found here include the green heron, the tri-color (or Louisiana) heron, cattle egrets, great egrets, stilts, ibis and the occasional roseate spoonbill. Also found there are the elusive prothonotary warbler (or "swamp canary"), ladder-backed and pileated woodpeckers, and numerous other species.

Upland in the pine forests live the endangered red cockaded woodpecker, remnant populations of bob-white quail, downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, and sap-suckers.

Utilizing a wide variety of habitats are the ubiquitous suburban song birds like cardinals, jays, mockingbirds, sparrows, and wrens. Also common are raptors of all types including screech, barred, and great horned owls and myriad hawk species. Less common, but still present are both Mississippi and swallow-tailed kites, ospreys, and our national symbol the bald eagle nests many places in St. Tammany.

In the disappearing agricultural fields and fence-rows of the parish, you will find quail, shrike, meadowlark, kingbirds, hawks, cedar waxwings, and countless other species. The variety of bird life here in St. Tammany Parish is another delicate aspect of the quality of life that comes from living in nature's backyard.