Harper Lin
The Gulf Coast is known for its sparkling beaches, sunny skies, and gentle ocean breezes, but did you know that it's also a haven for birdwatchers? The Gulf of Mexico, in particular, is a critical region for a wide variety of North American seabirds, providing breeding, staging, migration, and wintering habitats. While the specific number and distribution of seabird species in the Gulf are not yet fully understood, recent studies have identified several unique seabirds in the region, including the red-footed booby, red-billed tropicbird, black-capped petrel, and the eastern brown pelican. The Alabama and Florida Gulf Coasts are part of the Mississippi Flyway, a major bird migration corridor, and play host to hundreds of migratory bird species every year. So, whether you're a seasoned birdwatcher or just looking for a unique vacation attraction, the Gulf Coast offers a plethora of opportunities for avian enjoyment.
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What You'll Learn
Birdwatching on the Gulf Coast
Birdwatching is a delightful hobby, and the Gulf Coast offers a variety of seabirds to observe and enjoy. One of the most common and well-known seabirds in the region is the gull, often referred to as the "seagull" in layman's terms. Gulls are intelligent, adaptable, and beautiful birds that are a joy to observe. They are typically coastal or inland species and are rarely found far out at sea.
The gull family is quite diverse, with various species sporting different characteristics. The herring gull, for example, is a majestic bird with a light grey back, black wingtips, and a white head and underparts. Adults can be distinguished by their bright yellow legs and hefty bills. The great black-backed gull is the largest gull species, with a black back and wings, a white head, and pale pink legs. The ring-billed gull, on the other hand, is the smallest of the common gulls, with a grey back, grey wings, and a white head.
Beyond the typical gull species, birdwatchers on the Gulf Coast can also enjoy other seabirds such as terns, skimmers, and even albatrosses and fulmars, which are sometimes mistakenly identified as gulls by laypersons. These birds can often be seen nesting in colonies on islands or coastal areas, providing a wonderful opportunity for observation.
For those interested in birdwatching on the Gulf Coast, there are a few key things to keep in mind. Gulls typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls and webbed feet. They are usually grey or white, often with black markings on their heads or wings. Their diets consist of crustaceans, molluscs, fish, and even small birds, which they can catch with their unhinging jaws. So, if you're looking to spot some gulls or other seabirds, head to the coast and keep your eyes and ears open for these distinctive features.
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Migratory birds passing through the Gulf
The Gulf of Mexico is a significant region for bird migration, with many migratory bird species passing through. The coastal habitats along the Gulf, including southern Texas, the Florida Keys, and the Caribbean, provide essential wintering, resting, and refueling areas for North America's migratory birds. These areas offer a diverse range of habitats, such as barrier islands, beaches, marshes, forests, and ocean waters, which provide abundant food sources for the birds.
Migratory birds take four main routes, known as flyways, through North America: the Central, Mississippi, Atlantic, and Pacific flyways. Notably, all of these flyways except for the Pacific pass through the Gulf of Mexico. This makes the Gulf a crucial bottleneck for migratory landbirds, which they must navigate during their biannual journeys between temperate breeding grounds in North America and wintering grounds in the southern US, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
The study of migratory bird movements in the Gulf region is facilitated by new technologies and on-the-ground research. Scientists from organizations like the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology use methods such as bird banding, tracking, stable isotopes, and weather radar data to gather information about bird species, their distributions, and their migration patterns. This research helps improve our understanding of migratory connectivity, or how populations are linked between seasons.
One bird species commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico is Audubon's shearwater, a seabird that frequents the area from April to November. Audubon's shearwaters are considered "pickers," feeding on fish, squid, and crustaceans from the water's surface. Unfortunately, this species was negatively impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and they are now considered a Bird of Conservation Concern.
In addition to Audubon's shearwater, other bird species observed in the Gulf of Mexico include the ovenbird and the endangered piping plover, which is the subject of a research project by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center aimed at protecting it from predation by merlins. The Gulf also serves as a vital stopover habitat for various landbird species during their spring and fall migrations, providing them with the necessary resources to refuel and continue their journeys.
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Seabird species breeding outside the Gulf
The Gulf of Mexico is a critical region for a wide variety of North American birds, providing breeding, staging, migration, and wintering habitats. However, it has been found that around 76% of pelagic seabirds that use the Gulf of Mexico habitat breed on lands outside the region.
The band-rumped storm-petrel, for example, breeds during the winter on the eastern North Atlantic islands, such as the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canaries, and Berlenga. The Cory's shearwater is another bird that migrates to the Gulf from the Mediterranean Sea.
In addition, the Gulf Coast area is home to both permanent residents and migratory visitors. Some of the more common permanent residents include eastern brown pelicans, gulls, bald eagles, great blue herons, ospreys, least terns, egrets, double-breasted cormorants, anhingas, roseate spoonbills, white ibises, black skimmers, oystercatchers, and rock pigeons.
The Alabama and Florida Gulf Coasts, part of the Mississippi Flyway, are a major bird migration corridor. More than 325 species, including geese, ducks, sparrows, warblers, thrushes, hummingbirds, cardinals, blue jays, and shorebirds, travel from their breeding grounds in the northern United States and Canada to winter along the Gulf of Mexico and in Central and South America.
In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, several seabird species are monitored as bioindicators of the ecosystem's health, including the Common Murre, Razorbill, and Atlantic Puffin (Alcidae family), as well as the American Herring Gull and Caspian tern (Laridae family).
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Rare seabirds in the Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a vital marine region that provides breeding grounds, staging areas, migration routes, and winter habitats for a wide variety of North American birds. The Gulf is a popular spot for birdwatching, especially for those interested in spotting rare seabirds.
The Gulf's pelagic seabirds exhibit three seasons of occurrence: winter, spring, and summer. There is also a migration period from March through early May and again from late September through mid-November. The species composition during these times is poorly understood due to a lack of significant investigation. However, some rare seabirds have been spotted in the Gulf during these periods.
One rare seabird species occasionally spotted in the Gulf is the red-footed booby. This bird is easily identifiable by its red feet and blue-grey bill. Another rare visitor is the red-billed tropicbird, with its long, red bill and white body. The black-capped petrel, named for the black feathers on its head, is also a rare sight in the Gulf. These birds typically soar close to the water's surface.
Other rare seabirds that have been documented in the Gulf of Mexico include the band-rumped storm-petrel, the magnificent frigatebird, and Audubon's shearwater. Audubon's shearwater is considered a "Bird of Conservation Concern," as it is likely to become threatened or endangered without additional conservation action.
The Gulf of Mexico is an important region for bird scientists to study and understand the abundance, distribution, and habitat use of seabird species. This knowledge is critical for informed management and conservation of these rare seabird populations.
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Eastern brown pelicans
The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a bird native to the Americas, found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth of the Amazon River, and along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. It is one of three species of pelicans found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into the water.
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Frequently asked questions
The Gulf of Mexico is a critical marine region that provides breeding, staging, migration, and wintering habitats for a wide variety of North America's birds. Some of the birds you can spot in the Gulf of Mexico include the red-footed booby, red-billed tropicbird, black-capped petrel, Audubon's shearwater, bridled tern, and the band-rumped storm-petrel.
There are two pools of birds that reside in the Gulf Coast area—permanent residents and migratory visitors. Some common permanent residents include eastern brown pelicans, gulls, bald eagles, great blue herons, ospreys, least terns, egrets, double-breasted cormorants, anhingas, roseate spoonbills, white ibises, black skimmers, oystercatchers, and rock pigeons.
Some places that are especially good for birdwatching on the Gulf Coast include the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Honeymoon Island State Park, Fort De Soto County Park, Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach, Marco Island's Tigertail Beach, and Fort Clinch State Park.
The eastern brown pelican is a common bird along the Gulf Coast. Adults weigh about eight pounds, have body lengths of up to four feet, and wingspans of up to six and a half feet. They have gray-brown bodies, tall white necks, light-yellow crowns, and long slender gray, brown, or orange bills. They are known for plunging headfirst into the surf to catch fish, consuming up to four pounds of fish per day.
