| | Wildlife Viewing | |
Bird watching and wildlife viewing in Mississippi are quickly becoming the favorite hobbies of our visitors.
Happily, Mississippi is located on the flyway for neotropicals and
waterfowl migration. The state also takes pride in 48 Wildlife Management
areas, 15 National Refuges, six National Forests, two National Parks
including the Gulf Islands
National
Seashore and the Sandhill Crane National Refuge, the federally-designated
wilderness areas of Petite Bois and Horn Islands, the Pascagoula River
Basin, and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. With all these magnificant
areas, its easy to see why birding is so popular in our state.
From the Gulf Coast to the hills of north Mississippi, hundreds of species of animals and birds make Mississippi their home. Accessible locations are available to view endangered birds like the red-cockaded woodpecker. Each year, Mississippi hosts the Hummingbird Migration Celebration in Holly Springs, the Stork and Cork Birding Festival at Tara Wildlife Management near Vicksburg, and the Spring Migration Festival in Lucedale. One of the most unique outdoor recreation events is The Great Delta Bear Affair Festival in Rolling Fork. The festival features birding activities, equestrian trail rides, as well as other nature tourism events. It is a celebration of Teddy Roosevelt's famous bear hunt and supports the restoration of the black bear in the Delta.