Gaviidae • Podicipedidae • Diomedeidae • Procellariidae • Hydrobatidae • Sulidae • Pelecanidae • Phalacrocoracidae • Anhingidae • Fregatidae • Ardeidae • Threskiornithidae • Ciconiidae

This list contains pictures of birds found on the official Louisiana Checklist. These birds were photographed within the state except where noted. Birds marked with an asterisk (*) are currently on the review list of the Louisiana Bird Records Committee.

 ORDER GAVIIFORMES

 Family Gaviidae: Loons

 Family Podicipedidae: Grebes

​	​Least Grebe * The Least Grebe was first reported in the state on Dec. 14, 1947, in Baton Rouge. Subsequent to that sighting, the only other report of the species that I am familiar with took place in Cameron Parish, at Mud Lake, on Feb. 11, 1978. The bird shown here was filmed in a more reliable location for the species, at Santa Ana NWR in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
​	​Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe * Eared Grebe
​	​Western Grebe * The Western Grebe is a large, beautiful black and white waterbird of the western U.S. and Canada. It is a rare species in Louisiana, and is not seen every ear. Sightings are generally on larger lakes or along the coast. The very closely related Clark's Grebe has not yet been reported from Louisiana, but any suspected Western Grebe should be carefully checked to eliminate that species. The primary difference between the two is found in the color of the feathers around the eyes. On Western Grebes the eyes are completely surrounded by blackish feathering, while on Clark's, the white feathering of the cheeks extends up to touch the eyes. This Western Grebe was filmed in California.

 ORDER PROCELLARIFORMES

 Family Diomedeidae: Albatrosses

 Family Procellariidae: Shearwaters

​	​Greater Shearwater *
​	​Cory's Shearwater * Cory's Shearwater is an regular visitor to Louisiana'a offshore waters, but not every pelagic trip finds one, and the one day high count for the species is probably only 2-3 birds. Given the vast amount of open water, it is difficult to guess exactly how common this and other strictly pelagic species are. This bird was photographed on a May trip out of Venice, Louisiana.
​	​Manx Shearwater * Audubon's Shearwater *

 Family Hydrobatidae: Storm-petrels

ORDER PELECANIFORMES

Family Sulidae: Boobies and Gannets

​	​Masked Booby * The Masked Booby is a regular but uncommon species off the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The three birds pictured here were photographed near an offshore oil rig 60 miles out of the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi on Sept. 16, 1995. Although most of the records pertain to SE LA, Masked Boobies are probably also regular off the SW coast.
​	​Brown Booby * Red-footed Booby *
​	​Northern Gannet The Northern Gannet is a fairly common winter visitor off the Louisiana Gulf Coast, although it is usually found out of sight of land. The bird pictured here was found ashore during a Christmas Bird Count in Cameron Parish.

Family Pelecanidae: Pelicans

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​American White Pelican

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​Brown Pelican The Brown Pelican, state bird of Louisiana, was extirpated as a breeder in the state by 1962. The catastrophic decline of the species is thought to have been the result of pesticide buildup in the waters along the coast. However, as a result of reintroductions begun in southeastern Louisiana in 1968, the Brown Pelican has undergone a major comeback and is again becoming common along the entire coast of the state.

 Family Phalacrocoracidae: Cormorants

​	​Double-crested Cormorant
​	​Neotropic Cormorant

 Family Anhingidae: Darters

Family Fregatidae: Frigatebirds

​	​Magnificent Frigatebird

ORDER CICONIFORMES

Family Ardeidae: Bitterns and Herons

​	​American Bittern
​	​Least Bittern
​	​Great Blue Heron ........."Great White" Heron *
​	​Great Egret
​	​Snowy Egret
​	​Little Blue Heron
​	​Tricolored Heron
​	​Reddish Egret
​	​Cattle Egret
​	​Green Heron
​	​Black-crowned Night-Heron
​	​Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Family Threskiornithidae: Ibises and Spoonbills

​	​White Ibis
​	​Glossy Ibis
​	​White-faced Ibis
​	​Roseate Spoonbill           Roseate Spoonbills are common nesters and winterers in the southwestern marshes of the state, and recently have begun to nest further inland (e.g. Lake Martin, St. Martin Parish). In summer, thousands of spoonbills invade the inland crawfish ponds, along with Wood Storks, ibis, egrets and herons.

Family Ciconiidae: Storks

​	​Wood Stork