Page 97 - Play Coastal Mississippi - Fall, 2025

along the trail because it is home to one of the largest colonies of Least Terns on the Gulf Coast. Each summer, this spot can easily see hundreds of Least Terns make it their home for the breeding season. Chances are, if you’ve visited the beach somewhere in Harrison County during the summer, you’ve likely seen the roped off areas for birds. What you might not know is these spots are roped off for Least Tern eggs. The eggs can easily blend in with the sand, which is part of the reason why portions of the beach are off-limits to humans during their breeding season.
The Pascagoula River Audubon Center and Audubon Mississippi beach stewardship program work hard to keep visitors and locals alike away from nesting sites. It is vital to pay attention to the signage posted for Least Terns along the coastline. Coastal developments, recreational use of beaches, pollution, storms, rising tides, and more threaten the future of these birds and their nesting spots. While Least Terns are no longer on the endangered species list, they have been in recent years, so it is important that we are all doing our part to ensure these birds thrive.
Walking along the beach at these spots not only puts the Least Terns and their babies in danger, but you also run the risk of startling them away and hindering their access to the water, which is how they cool off and feed themselves and their young.
Did you know the Mississippi Gulf Coast has a high diversity of birds? Almost 400 species! Some common species, like the Least Tern mentioned above, include:
• Black-bellied Whistling-Duck • Canada Goose
• Common Loon
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron • White Ibis
• Black Vulture
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Clapper Rail
• Common Gallinule
• American Coot
• Black-necked Stilt
• Black-bellied Plover
• Killdeer
• Greater Yellowleg
• Willet
• Bonaparte’s Gull
• Caspian Tern
• Black Skimme
• Rock Pigeon
• Mourning Dove
• Eastern Screech-Owl
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird • American Crow
Common Loon
Eastern Screech Owl
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Least Tern