About the Southeast Region
The Southeast offers incredible bird diversity year-round, from Appalachian mountain forests to coastal wetlands and tropical Florida. Mild winters allow many species to stay year-round, while Florida serves as a winter haven for northern migrants and hosts tropical species found nowhere else in the continental US.
Best birding seasons: Year-round birding is excellent. Spring (March-May) brings northbound migrants. Winter (December-February) draws waterfowl and northern species south.
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
State bird of five southern states. Gray with white wing patches. Mimics other birds' songs flawlessly.
Year-round
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Rusty brown with bold white eyebrow. Loud "teakettle teakettle" song. Common in wooded areas.
Year-round
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Rusty brown above, heavily streaked below. Yellow eyes. Sings from exposed perches.
Year-round
Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris
Male is arguably North America's most colorful bird — blue head, green back, red underparts. Summer resident.
Spring-Summer
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Largest heron in North America. Hunts fish in shallow water. Common along coasts and wetlands.
Year-round
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Large white wading bird with yellow bill. Graceful hunter in marshes and wetlands.
Year-round
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
Pink wading bird with bizarre spoon-shaped bill. Found in coastal Florida and Gulf wetlands.
Year-round (FL/Gulf)
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Coastal icon. Dives from air to catch fish. Brown body, white head (breeding). Year-round on coasts.
Year-round (Coastal)
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Spectacularly colorful male. Nests in tree cavities. Common in wooded swamps and ponds.
Year-round
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
Often called "snakebird" for swimming with only neck visible. Spears fish underwater. Florida resident.
Year-round (FL/Deep South)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Black and white barred back, red cap. Despite name, red belly barely visible. Common at feeders.
Year-round
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
Gray songbird with black mask. Nicknamed "butcher bird" — impales prey on thorns. Open country resident.
Year-round