When spring brings warm breezes and new foliage back to the forests, fields, and swamps of South Louisiana, St. Landry Parish becomes one of the most popular locations in the Southeast for birdwatchers. Why? Because St. Landry sits at the “crossroads” of three distinct ecosystems—coastal prairie, bottomland hardwood forest, and the vast Atchafalaya Swamp. So, spring migration makes this region ground zero for scores of species, as colorful neotropical migrants like Painted Buntings, Prothonotary Warblers, and assorted vireos and tanagers arrive to rest and refuel before resuming their northward migration.
While spring migration makes birding St. Landry great from March through June, mid- to late-April is generally recognized as a “sweet spot,” when species diversity is at its highest, as trans-Gulf migrants (birds flying over the water from the tropics) and circum-Gulf migrants (those following the coast) converge.
But with broad habitat diversity and lots of options, where’s a birding enthusiast to begin? Here are three places in St. Landry Parish to experience the wonder of spring migration at its peak.
Thistlethwaite State Wildlife Management Area
Situated northeast of the historic bayouside town of Washington, Thistlethwaite State WMA is a sprawling 11,100-acre expanse of bottomland hardwood forest comprised of ash, hackberry, hickory, sweetgum, elm, and maple. “It’s got a lot of palmettos and it’s dense forest, so neotropical migrant birds come to nest in the spring, and don’t leave until late summer or early fall,” noted Bill Fontenot, an ecological consultant, plant expert and lifelong birding enthusiast.
Fontenot advises beginning birders to keep their eyes peeled for bright yellow Prothonotary Warblers, who are busy nestbuilding during spring. Painted Buntings sporting blue, green, yellow, and bright red plumage are also regular visitors among Thistlethwaite’s resident populations of hawks, owls, and various woodpeckers. “They’re little jewels. You just have to see them!” Fontenot said. “In the spring, the males get up high on utility lines early in the morning. They shake off the dew and let the sun dry them and they sing in the months of April and May especially, and into June. That’s when they’re easy to view for beginners.”
Indian Bayou Natural Area
Snowy Egrets catch their meals in the coastal prairies of St. Landry parish
Deep in the Atchafalaya Basin, Indian Bayou Natural Area is a 28,000-acre public access site managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With its mix of cypress swamp and wet meadows, Indian Bayou attracts huge numbers of wading birds and breeding songbirds, making the site famous for its springtime “wetland orchestra.” It’s a great place for spotting Swainson’s Warblers, Swallow-tailed Kites, Great Blue Herons; and Wood Storks,which begin to nest in late spring. While the site’s walking and ATV trails are easily accessible from Krotz Springs, for best results, consider bringing a canoe or kayak and launching from the public basin boat launch on West Atchafalaya Levee Road.
Bayou Teche National Water Trail
If you enjoy messing around in boats, the nationally recognized Bayou Teche National Water Trail is accessible from Port Barre, providing access to a network of paddle trails that meanders through St. Landry parish and connects to more than 100 miles of waterways. During spring, Baltimore Orioles, Summer Tanagers, and Belted Kingfishers are all visible along the bayou’s banks, while Wood Ducks and raptors including Mississippi Kites can be spotted at any time of year.
Male Cardinal
Claire White, another local birding enthusiast who works at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, notes that you don’t even need to get into the woods or the swamp to see birds here. She describes as many as fifty Indigo Buntings at once stopping to rest and feed in her backyard. “I’ve seen eleven different birds at my feeder at one time,” she says. “The Indigo Buntings are a thrill! They’re so blue it hurts.” While White recommends Thistlethwaite State WMA, she notes you can also stroll along just about any street in St. Landry Parish and expect to spot plenty of birds, if you keep your eyes peeled. “When I take my walk, I can hear pileated woodpeckers. If they’re on a tree and they’re pecking at it, you can almost feel the ground shaking because they’re humongous,” she said, noting that cedar waxwings are another common sight, nibbling fruit off local Japanese plum trees. She’s begun seeing bright orange Orchard Orioles in her neighborhood, too.
Wherever you go, Fontenot advises birders to bring a hat, mosquito repellant, binoculars, a good camera, and courtesy for other visitors and the natural surroundings alike. “It will change your life,” he said. “Most people use nature as a backdrop, but once you turn on to nature and you begin to study it and see the wonder, it brings back what you had as a child.”
So, go where the birds go! To learn more about birding St. Landry Parish, plus information about area attractions, local shopping and antiquing, music and dance halls, art galleries and museums, the Spiritual Trail, Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway and more, flock to cajuntravel.com/things-to-do.
