birding...

Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos ©Robert Royse http://www.roysephotos.com/index.html

Arkansas is ideally situated for birds and birdwatchers alike. Its mild southern climate consists of long, warm summers and short, cool winters. Geographically, the Great Plains approach Arkansas` western border in Texas and Oklahoma while the Mississippi River forms the eastern border along Tennessee and Mississippi. Many distinct habitats are contained with these borders, including patches of remnant prairie, upland and bottomland forests, lowland marshes, and many open lakes and rivers. This diversity, along with Arkansas` prime position along the Mississippi flyway and its proximity to typically western and gulf coast birds, yields an impressive state list of 388 species.

Many of the Natural State`s prime birding spots are accessible in the form of State or National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, Forests, and the Buffalo National River. And although the birding community in Arkansas is fairly active, there are still exciting discoveries to be made. For example, breeding populations of Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Green Warblers were discovered hundreds of miles from their previously known breeding grounds as recently as 1993.

Drawing a line from the northeast to the southwest corner of the state creates the easiest physio-graphic division of Arkansas: above the line are the highlands; below the line are the lowlands. The highlands can be further divided into the Ozark Plateau and the Ouachita (pronounced WASH-ih-taw) Mountains, which consist of mostly oak-hickory or oak-hickory-pine forest. The lowlands are made up of the Gulf Coastal Plain, which runs along the southern border with Louisiana, and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain in the east. The Gulf Coastal Plain is characterized by rolling hills and predominantly pine forest while the Mississippi Alluvial Plain is primarily farming country that has lost most of its trees.

The birds are as varied as the habitats that attract them. As Mel White writes in the Introduction to his A Birder`s Guide to Arkansas (1995, American Birding Association, Inc.); Everyplace in Arkansas is great the first week of May. Seeing 100 species in a day is almost easy during the full swing of migration. In addition, breeding Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman`s Sparrow, and Brown-headed Nuthatch are found in the Ouachitas and southern pine forests. Swainson`s Hawk is an annual migrant in the west. Western Kingbirds have been found breeding in the southwest, Harris`s Sparrow and Western Meadowlark winter in the northwest. Central Arkansas yields wintering flocks of Horned Lark and Lapland Longspur with Smith`s Longspur present in a few locations. In some winters Sprague`s Pipit is found with these species. The low wetland areas provide habitat for millions of wintering waterfowl, and Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, Anhinga, have all been found along the Gulf Coastal and the Mississippi Plains. Add these possibilities to the expected eastern birds and you have an incredible species assemblage!

The Audubon Society of Central Arkansas` web site houses a checklist of Arkansas birds and maintains a Rare Bird Alert that can also be reached by phone at (501) 753-5853. An annotated checklist that includes notes on distribution and dates of occurrence can be obtained by writing to Max Parker, Curator, Arkansas Audubon Society, 2426 S. Main, Malvern, AR 72104 (copies are 15 cents apiece plus a self-addressed stamped envelope). Birders wishing to document unusual sightings should write to Max Parker at the same address.