Black Skimmer
Latin:
Rynchops niger
The Flyways
Mississippi Flyway
Coastal Stewardship: Gulf
All along the Gulf Coast, Audubon conserves, restores, protects, and monitors coastal sites for colonial and beach-nesting birds
A River of Birds
From the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
More than 325 bird species make the round-trip each year along the Mississippi Flyway, from their breeding grounds in Canada and the northern United States to their wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico and in Central and South America.
Many of those birds and their critical habitats were profoundly affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill—habitat that will be further eroded by sea-level rise. Audubon knows that only a comprehensive restoration program, and a long-term financial commitment to restoring the Gulf, will keep the flyway hospitable to birds.
We’ve established a Gulf-wide stewardship plan for the full range of coastal waterbirds, and this year Audubon received the first installment of funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to get those restoration projects started.
We protect Whooping Cranes, Least Terns, Prothonotary Warblers, and many other species at both the north and south ends of their migrations. From Minnesota, where we successfully lobbied the Environmental Protection Agency to stay the permit of a sulfide ore mine, to shorebird stewardship projects in Mississippi, we are there for the birds.
Short-billed Dowitcher
Latin:
Limnodromus griseus
Western Sandpiper
Latin:
Calidris mauri
Snowy Plover
Latin:
Charadrius nivosus
Little Blue Heron
Latin:
Egretta caerulea
American Oystercatcher
Latin:
Haematopus palliatus
Ruddy Turnstone
Latin:
Arenaria interpres
Reddish Egret
Latin:
Egretta rufescens
Bobolink
Latin:
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Mottled Duck
Latin:
Anas fulvigula
Clapper Rail
Latin:
Rallus crepitans
Piping Plover
Latin:
Charadrius melodus
Sanderling
Latin:
Calidris alba
Wilson's Plover
Latin:
Charadrius wilsonia
Red Knot
Latin:
Calidris canutus
Brown Pelican
Latin:
Pelecanus occidentalis
Seaside Sparrow
Latin:
Ammospiza maritima
Least Tern
Latin:
Sternula antillarum
Mississippi Flyway In the News
Audubon Mural Project
Alton Flyway Mural by James K. Schmidt and Robert Fishbone
Location: 136 Front Street, Alton, IL 62002
Coasts
Welcome to the Island Where Egrets Rule
A century ago, Audubon Texas made a commitment to protecting birds along the Texas coast. They started here.
News
Inflation Reduction Act is Making a Difference for Water Resources, Rural Communities, Birds
Significant climate legislation one year after passage.
Conservation Projects in the Mississippi Flyway
Arctic Slope
The coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which serves as the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd, has long been a high-profile loca- tion in the debate over energy development versus wildlife conservation.
Water
Mississippi River Delta
Audubon’s policy team and grassroots activists are instrumental in gaining national support for ongoing recovery work in the delta
Coasts
Coastal Stewardship: Gulf
Restoring vital coastal wetlands for colonial and beach-nesting birds
Water
Great Lakes
Millions of birds depend on coastal habitats along the Great Lakes for shelter, rest, and nourishment for their long journeys during migration.
