New Orleans Area Bird-watching

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National Geographic Guide to Birdwatching Sites, Eastern U.S.

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Rich swamp woodland can be explored along 9 miles [14.5 kilometers] of trails in the Barataria Preserve Unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve just south of New Orleans. Stop at the visitor center on Louisiana 45 (Barataria Boulevard) to gather maps and information, then head north 1 mile [1.6 kilometers] to the Bayou Coquille Trail, a short, handicapped-accessible, paved-and-boardwalk path that passes through several ecological zones on its way from live-oak forest through bald-cypress-tupelo swamp to marsh. Nesting birds in the swamp or in higher, drier forest include Yellow-crowned Night-Heron; Wood Duck; Red-shouldered Hawk; Great Horned and Barred Owls; Pileated Woodpecker; Acadian Flycatcher; White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos; Northern Parula; and Yellow-throated, Prothonotary, Swainson’s (uncommon), and Hooded Warblers. Least Bittern, King Rail, and Purple Gallinule nest in the marsh, where herons, egrets, and ibises are common, and Painted Buntings breed in scrubby places around the preserve. CONTINUED

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The white ibis inhabits rice fields, swamps, and marshes.

Photograph © George Lepp/Corbis

Another good birding spot convenient to New Orleans, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is a mostly undeveloped area on US 90 about 4 miles [6.4 kilometers] east of I-510. On the north side of US 90, the short Ridge Trail winds through bottomland hardwoods and palmettos to an observation deck overlooking a lagoon, making it a fine place to see waders, ducks, and migrant songbirds. South of the highway, a boardwalk behind the refuge Learning Lab provides views of a marsh. Check with the refuge office about guided trips on spring weekends to view a rookery where thousands of herons and egrets nest. Other refuge breeding birds include Least Bittern; White, Glossy, and White-faced Ibises; Mottled Duck; Bald Eagle; Purple Gallinule; and Black-necked Stilt.