News By Department: Wildlife, Fisheries & Aquaculture

We’ve reached the end of our yearlong series that introduced you to some of Mississippi’s birds! We hope these blog posts have helped you identify and learn more about our feathered friends.

Many birds aren’t as easy to identify as red-headed woodpeckers. With their bright red head and neck feathers and loud pecking noise, they surely know how to make their presence known!

The tufted titmouse is a bird you’ve likely seen in parks, woodlands, and in your back yard. They’re native to the eastern parts of the United States and are attracted to areas where there is an abundance of broadleaf trees, such as oaks, hickories, and maples. 

“Rockin’ robin, tweet-tweedle-lee-dee!” You sang that sentence as you read it, didn’t you?

If you hear a bird call that sounds like a fast, high pitched “chick-a-dee-dee-dee,” you can confidently say it’s coming from a Carolina chickadee– they get their name from this distinctive call.

Every Mississippian is familiar with the northern mockingbird. In 1944, it became the official bird of Mississippi.

“Coo-OO-oo-woo!” With their rather sorrowful call, the mourning dove sings one of the most recognizable songs.

Have you ever noticed the small birds hopping around parking lots scrounging for food and wondered what kind they were? There’s a good chance they were house sparrows. 

Everyone loves Ruby-throated hummingbirds! I have fond memories of watching these hummingbirds visit the many feeders my grandparents put out each year. You probably have a similar story! Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures, with their bold-colored feathers and fast-fluttering wings.

Blue jays are easy to recognize by both their noisy call and bold blue feathers. Also known as jaybirds, blue jays are members of the crow family and native to the United States.

Moles and voles are often confused with one another. They both can cause damage to your lawn and their names sound very similar. You can use the beginning letter of their name to help you remember the difference! 

We’re on month two of learning about the different types of birds in Mississippi. For February, we’re discussing the house finch.

Northern cardinals are a commonly spotted bird during winter months. If you’re like me, you’ve seen cardinals featured on various holiday décor items. It’s almost like they’re the official bird of winter.

Hummingbirds are fascinating little creatures and are adored by many people. If you’re a hummingbird lover, you’re probably giddy to have them flock to your yard again this season. 

In the South, there’s a legend that says rain is on the way any time you see a turtle cross the road. There’s very little truth to this myth, even though it does seem like rain is in the forecast after we see one of these creatures slowly making its way across the street. 

Spring is when we see a lot of baby wildlife. You’ll likely start seeing young animals tagging along behind one or both their parents, and boy, is it cute.

A new online platform can help farmers learn about and implement management practices to improve profitability, soil health and land stewardship. Created by a multistate team of university Extension professionals and farmers, One Good Idea provides farmers across the U.S. an online classroom to learn through videos and podcasts. Topics include cover crops, conservation tillage, rotational grazing and nutrient management.

At a quick glance, coyotes can be mistaken for a domestic dog, like a German shepherd or collie. But this wild dog species can be trouble if they take up residence in your neighborhood. 

Coyotes are abundant in Mississippi and are natural predators, preying on animals like small dogs, cats, birds, and rodents. They also can damage land. 

As cooler weather arrives, mice are looking for any source of heat and food they can find. Sometimes, they find their way into homes. You may notice the faint pitter-patter of small feet inside walls and attics. It’s just the mice looking for a warm place to stay!

The white-tailed deer is one of the most popular game species in Mississippi. We have over 2 million white-tailed deer in the state, and we rank second behind Texas for the densest population of deer in the nation.