BirdLouisiana.org

Your Louisiana Birding Resource

Clubs and Organizations

back to top

Audubon Delta

http://la.audubon.org

Integrating science, education and policy, Audubon Delta's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.

Baton Rouge Audubon Society

braudubon.org

The Baton Rouge Audubon Society (BRAS) is a local volunteer chapter of the National Audubon Society dedicated to protecting the unique biological treasures of Louisiana, with special concern for birds, wildlife and their habitats. BRAS contributes to our community by offering opportunities to learn about and appreciate the rich natural environment of our home state.

Crescent Bird Club

see Orleans Audubon Society

The Crescent Bird Club is an organization that sponsors field trips for new and experienced birders to observe, listen to, identify, and enjoy birds in their natural habitats. For more information please email jjf1946@gmail.com.

Gulf Coast Bird Club

Visit the GCBC website

The Gulf Coast Bird Club is dedicated to promoting the knowledge and conservation of bird life, other wildlife, natural habitats and natural resources; and to fostering an appreciation of our natural environment and of the significance of its influence upon human life.

Loose Alliance of Casual and/or Keen Birders of Central Louisiana

Facebook page

Informal bird club centered in the Alexandria, LA area.

Louisiana Bayou Bluebird Society

http://www.labayoubluebirdsociety.org/

The Louisiana Bayou Bluebird Society is dedicated to the protection, propagation, and enjoyment of the Eastern Bluebird and other native cavity nesting birds. Our mission is to assist in monitoring and increasing the population of the these birds by participation in a statewide nestbox program; to educate and inform the people of our state on the ecology and management of the Eastern Bluebird through schools, clubs, and other organizations; to conduct research on the Eastern Bluebird and it's habitat selection; and to cooperate and coordinate with other organizations with purposes similar to those set forth herein.

Louisiana Bird Observatory

http://www.braudubon.org/labo

The Louisiana Bird Observatory (LABO) is a state-wide partnership of bird monitoring stations focused on promoting bird conservation through quality science and education

Louisiana Ornithological Society

losbird.org

The Louisiana Ornithological Society (LOS) was organized in 1947 to gather and disseminate accurate information concerning the bird life of the western hemisphere and of Louisiana; to promote interest in and appreciation of the value of birds, both aesthetic and economic, which will ensure wiser conservation of our bird life; to promote opportunity for acquaintance and fellowship among those interested in nature; and to issue, at such times as possible or practicable, publications as a means of furthering these ends.

The Louisiana Bird Records Committee compiles the official state bird list and reviews records of rare or unusual birds. Visit their page for the list or to find instructions for reporting unusual birds: http://www.losbird.org/lbrc/lbrc.htm

Orleans Audubon Society

jjaudubon.net

The Orleans Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society dedicated to the preservation and conservation of wildlife and wild places of the southeastern U.S. and to fostering an understanding and appreciation of nature.

Terrebonne Bird Club

Facebook page

The Terrebonne Bird Club is a non-profit organization established in 1955. The member base consists of individuals who share a common interest in the enjoyment, protection and conservation of all wildlife, primarily birds

Shreveport Bird Study group

http://www.birdstudygroup.org/

The Bird Study Group is a northwestern Louisiana organization of birders based in Shreveport. The Bird Study Group offers field trips, bird discussions, a bird sighting database, and other programs for people with an interest in birds.

Events and Festivals

back to top

January

Louisiana Ornithological Society winter meeting. Always held the last full weekend in January. The winter meeting moves around between the four different regions of the state (northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast). Meeting will include speakers Friday and Saturday night, guided bird walks on Saturday (or bird on your own), dinner Saturday night with another speaker and then the group will report all the species found that day. New birders are always welcome! For latest information, check http://losbird.org

Christmas Bird Counts (see December)

February

Eagle Expo

https://www.cajuncoast.com/

Annual event based in Morgan City, LA featuring boat tours into various waterways, presentations by wildlife & birding experts, photography seminar and social with guest speaker.

Owl Night at Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park in Shreveport

http://www.caddo.org/386/Programs-Events

Always held from 5-9pm the Saturday closest to Valentine’s day. This event features LIVE OWLS, opportunity to create owl-inspired art, go on a guided night hike, catch owl storytime or a naturalist presentation, then relax by the fireplace with complementary hot chocolate and make-your-own s'mores. Check the Calendar for the most current information

Great Backyard Bird Count

https://gbbc.birdcount.org/

Usually takes place the middle of February. The great backyard bird count is a joint citizen science project of Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon society. The project encourages everyone to bird at home or anywhere in the country for at least 15 minutes a day and report your sightings via eBird (https://ebird.org)

March

Washington LA Bayou Birdfest

https://cajuntravel.com/event/bayou-bird-fest/

In commemoration of the town of Washington‘s 300 year celebration join us for a tour of the Bayou Courtableau. Washington and the nearby Wildlife Management Area, Thistlethwaite, contain a diverse range of wildlife including over 200 species of birds. Experts from the Louisiana Orinthological Society will lead the way showing you how the pros do it.

Pre-Great Louisiana Birdfest events

https://northlakenature.org/birdfest/

Northlake Nature Center offers several events in March as a teaser for its annual Great Louisiana Birdfest.

April

Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival

Town of Grand Isle Website

Held in April in the town of Grand Isle, Louisiana, this three-day festival includes guided bird tours on the Grand Isle Birding Trail, Elmer’s Island, and the Grand Isle State Park to see migratory birds.

Great Louisiana Birdfest

https://northlakenature.org/

Held in mid-April this festival features sites that are in the migratory path for many birds flying from South American and Mexico to places northward. Visitors will be able to take birding trips in many habitats including swamps, wetlands, pine savanna, and hardwoods. The festival also includes several workshops and great Southern food.

Louisiana Ornithological Society spring meeting.

Always held the last full weekend in April. The spring meeting is always held in Cameron parish unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Meeting will include speakers Friday and Saturday night, guided bird walks on Saturday (or bird on your own), dinner Saturday night with another speaker and then the group will report all the species found that day. New birders are always welcome! For latest information, check http://losbird.org

May

St. Bernard Bird Festival

http://www.sbpg.net/

Held in May, this 2-day festival is held at the Los Islenos Museum Complex in St. Bernard. Visitors will have a chance to see migratory birds through guided tours, see local artists and woodcarvers whose art features birds, and learn about birding, re-forestation, and local fauna.

October

Big Sit

Traditionally, the annual Big Sit is held on the second weekend in October. The Big Sit! is an annual sunrise to sunset, world-wide, zero-mileage, non-competitive, family friendly tailgate party to celebrate the birds of your community. Birders basically sit inside a 17-foot circle and try to locate and tally as many species of birds as possible from within that circle! Visit the Big Sit website to find a Big Sit location in your area.

Louisiana Ornithological Society fall meeting.

Always held the last full weekend in October. The fall meeting is always held in Cameron parish unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Meeting will include speakers Friday and Saturday night, guided bird walks on Saturday (or bird on your own), dinner Saturday night with another speaker and then the group will report all the species found that day. New birders are always welcome! For latest information, check http://losbird.org

November

Yellow Rails and Rice Festival

https://www.yellowrailsandrice.com/

This unique festival is held in early November each year and highlights the partnership between rice farmers and birders to explore working wetlands for yellow rails. Visitors will be directed to viewing spots in the rice fields, be offered a chance to ride a rice combine, explore nearby birding spots with guided field trips, and visit local hotspots. This festival is held in Jennings, Louisiana by Snowy Egret Enterprises. Visit the festival website for more information.

December

Christmas Bird Count

audubon.org

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 100 years of community science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds.

Where to Go Birding in Louisiana

back to top

Louisiana is blessed with hundreds of great places to go birding. Among those are the Audubon chapter sanctuaries.

Baton Rouge Audubon Society's oldest sanctuary, Peveto Woods, was established in the early 1980's in Cameron parish in southwest Louisiana. It's 40+ acres of remnant of oak chenier habitat that provides essential respite for thousands upon thousands of migratory birds each year.

BRAS's newest sanctuary is in Ascension parish, and is called the Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary. This 36-acre tract features ancient cypress and live oak trees as well as diverse habitat and an abundance of wildlife.

http://braudubon.org/conservation/sanctuaries

Orleans Audubon Society owns and partners with other organizations to maintain several sanctuaries in southeast Louisiana, including the Margaret Moffet Sanctuary in Terrebonne parish which protects 108 acres of wetlands. https://jjaudubon.net/sanctuaries

The Louisiana department of State Travel developed a set of birding trails along our gulf coast. Click here to explore America's Wetland Birding Trail https://www.louisianatravel.com/louisiana-birding-trails

LA State Travel also helped to publish the definitive guide to Birding in Louisiana. A Birder’s Guide to Louisiana is a book that features maps, turn by turn directions as well as samples of birds to be found at hundreds of locations across the state. A free electronic copy can be obtained here: https://www.atchafalaya.org/birding You may also obtain a printed copy from Amazon or other booksellers.

Over the years, enterprising birders have created useful guides for visiting different parts of the state. In northeast Louisiana, use the Northeast Louisiana Birding Guide https://la.audubon.org/labirds/northeast-louisiana-birding-guide

In southeast Louisiana, you might refer to the Southeast Louisiana Birdfinding Guide https://jjaudubon.net/birdguide

Visit ebird.org to get an up to date record of all of the bird species found in Louisiana. Use eBird to explore hotspots around the state to decide where you would like to visit.

Guided Field Trips

back to top

Louisiana Ornithological Society

losbird.org

LOS offers statewide guided field trips as a part of their regular meetings in January, April and October every year. They also feature field trips for LOS members to various parts of the state throughout the year.

LOS maintains a list of people who offer private guided field trips. Some may charge a fee. http://losbird.org/contacts.htm

Baton Rouge Audubon Society

braudubon.org Events and Field Trips

BRAS offers guided bird walks on the first Saturday of every month at 7:00am at Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bring your own binoculars. Participants must pay the standard park entrance fee. It is advisable to join BR Audubon so that you receive email announcements about the walks (in case of cancellation or other advisements).

BRAS also partnered with Friends of Oakley Plantation in St. Francisville to provide quarterly guided bird walks.

Wild Birds Unlimited store of Baton Rouge

WBU-BR offers guided monthly bird walks to various locations around the Baton Rouge area. In order to receive notices of the walks, sign up via email wbubatonrouge@gmail.com

Orleans Audubon Society

jjaudubon.net

OAS and the CBC jointly offer guided bird walks to members and the public on a regular basis from September through May to various locations in southeast Louisiana. Trips are publicized via the OAS website, mailing list and Facebook page. Sign up to receive free email notifications at the OAS MailChimp landing page

Terrebonne Bird Club

TBC offers informal peer-led field trips to its members that are generally organized via their facebook page.

Gulf Coast Bird Club

GCBC offers informal peer-led field trips to its members on the Saturday after its monthly meetings. Members are advised of location at the monthly meeting.

Programs, Workshops, and Classes

back to top

Audubon Louisiana

http://la.audubon.org

Audubon LA offers occasional workshops usually focused on advanced identification. They use their facebook page and various email lists to advertise their classes.

Baton Rouge Audubon Society

braudubon.org

BRAS offers programs related to birds and other nature subjects nine months of the year (no programs in June, July, and August) at the education building at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center from 7pm to 8pm with refreshments before. Programs are open to members as well as the public.

BRAS also offers classes for beginning birders in the spring and fall of each year. Classes are offered via the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at LSU and at Hilltop Arboretum on Highland Road in Baton Rouge. Classes are advertised through the BRAS website and facebook page and BRAS membership email list. Classes are limited in registration and are offered first-come, first-served.

Orleans Audubon Society

jjaudubon.net

OAS offers monthly speakers at its meetings along with stellar refreshments. Meetings run from September through May and most are held at the Community Church Unitarian Universalist in Lakeview, New Orleans. OAS also offers beginning and intermediate bird watching seminars and workshops, as well as more focused identification workshops on raptors, confusing fall warblers, etc.

Bird Questions

back to top

Have a bird question? Click here to ask your question

Have an injured bird? Only certified wildlife rehabilitators are permitted to care for injured or orphaned animals. To find a wildlife rehabber in your area, go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/rehab

This page brought to you courtesy of Baton Rouge Audubon Society www.braudubon.org, Orleans Audubon Society jjaudubon.net, and Louisiana Ornithological Association losbird.org
©2023