Birding in Liberty County
The weather is finally starting to warm up again, and we’re all ready to go out & enjoy our beautiful piece of the Georgia coast. Joining us in that sentiment are our feathered friends! With our mild climate & variety of habitats, Liberty County lends itself as a popular home for birds all year. If you’ve taken a minute to sit outside, you’ve probably heard the sweet songs of the bird choir and seen the bright splashes of color that are their plumage.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Jones
The spring migration will bring the first visitors to the coast, after their winter vacations in Florida, the Caribbean Islands and Central and South America. Among those first visitors are painted buntings. The brilliantly colored songbirds that literally look like the bird has splashes of paint on it, are actually the mature males. Younger males & females are more camouflaged. The females like to build their nests in the Spanish moss of maritime oak forests that are found on the coast. Painted buntings are common in coastal Georgia as the habitat suits them and typically winter in south Florida, Mexico and Cuba.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Jones
Redheaded woodpeckers are a common species in Georgia, and year-round residents. These are easy to spot due to their red heads but even easier to hear. Their rhythmic pecking of a tree is often the giveaway one is in the area. Red headed woodpeckers are omnivorous, dining on earthworms and bugs, as well as seeds and berries. These birds prefer open groves or wooded areas which may be why they are often seen in our neighborhoods.
Photos courtesy of John Henderson
Shorebirds like the great egret, wood storks and white ibis all love the marshes, swamps, rivers and canals of coastal Georgia making them year-round residents, too. They feed off of little fish flowing through these bodies of water. Mature birds have no predators and can live well into their 20s.
Photos courtesy of Jeff Jones
Black-crowned night heron and great blue heron are more species of shorebird that inhabit the low-lying areas on the coast. Black-crowned night herons are striking birds that have a black “cap” of feathers on their heads and contrastingly bright eyes while, great blue herons are a duller blue grey and are the largest herons in North America. Great blue herons will eat a variety of foods allowing them to live in all kinds of habitats year-round. You may have seen both species of these feathered friends standing motionless in a ditch or on a dock hunting for their food, as they like to dine on fish, frogs, snakes and shellfish.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Jones
Georgia is home to multiple species of hummingbirds too, the ruby throated species being the most common. These tiny migrants arrive to the Georgia coast in late February or early March and stay until the fall. We love to see the ruby throated hummingbird flitting around backyard feeders and in gardens. Native plants to the Coast like azaleas, honeysuckle and Rose of Sharon are excellent plants to attract hummingbirds. Check out their migration pattern here!
Photo courtesy of Jeff Jones
The roseate spoonbill with its pink feathers, stands out starkly in our coastal marshes. Another wading bird like the herons, egrets and storks these birds also eat a diet of shellfish and other water animals. While their pink feathers and desire to live in warmer climates might suggest they are a relative to the flamingo, they are actually not.
Photo courtesy of Tammy Lee Bradley
As we venture more into Spring, head out to Fort Morris, a stop on the Colonial Coast Birding Trail. This historic site on the Liberty County coast is a favorite for those who love the outdoors with a pristine view of the Medway River & St. Catherines island in addition to the species of birds that frequent the area. In Midway is Cay Creek Wetlands Interpretive Center, another stop for birding enthusiasts. The walk across multiple ecosystems will provide a chance to see several different species of birds and other animals.
-Erin Johnson, Creative & Content Manager for the Liberty County CVB
The Right Blend Blog is written by two different authors employed by the Liberty County Chamber/CVB. As we are able, we rotate weeks and each writes about our individual experiences, opinions and let our writing reflect our personalities and creativity. All content provided on The Right Blend blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site.
