POST- OR NON-BREEDING VISITORS

Summer

Most species of birds in Louisiana can be easily categorized into four groups: 1) spring northbound or fall southbound migrants, 2) species that come to the state to breed, 3) species that spend the winter, or 4) species that are resident and present year round. There are a couple of species that visit Louisiana following their nesting period that are not so easy to pigeon-hole. They drift into our area seeking resources during a specific time of year, then leave. Their visit is not correlated with typical seasons or movements of other species. These are our post-or-non-breeding visitors.

Two large and charismatic post-breeding visitors to our state are the Magnificent Frigatebird and Wood Stork. These mainly tropical species visit in such numbers they provide ample opportunities to see large numbers of individuals feeding or resting. There are few birds as aerodynamic as a frigatebird as it maneuvers around other seabirds, especially gulls, terns, and pelicans to force them to give up their catch of fish. Frigatebirds spend from late spring to early fall along Louisiana’s coast and offshore waters. Large concentrations of Wood Storks congregate with other species of large waders to take advantage of fish or shellfish easily caught during periods of low water during the summer and early fall. There is even a Wood Stork Event now to celebrate the summer influx of these spectacular birds.

• Wood Storks
• Magnificent Frigates