Common Gallinules reach Mississippi in late January, are common by early February, peak in late April (2.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid November.
When to look
First arrivalsJan 22-31late January
Common byFeb 1-7early February
PeakApr 22-30late April
Most gone byNov 15-21mid November
Best: late April. First arrivals late January; most are gone by mid November. Peak: on about 2.6% of Mississippi checklists.
Januncommon
Febcommon
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novcommon
Deccommon
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.
Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Mississippi that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
0%few checklistsno data
Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.
Madison CountyBest late March · 199 checklists that week, 6,285 in all32%
Holmes CountyBest early March · 10 checklists that week, 242 in all30%
Noxubee CountyBest the second week of April · 119 checklists that week, 5,841 in all25%
Washington CountyBest late May · 18 checklists that week, 495 in all20%
George CountyBest late June · 15 checklists that week, 490 in all17%
Pike CountyBest early November · 11 checklists that week, 608 in all10%
Best spots
Share of checklists at the peak
Hurricane LakeMadison County, best early November · 32 checklists that week, 1,600 in all82%
Dickerson ArmNoxubee County, best early September · 22 checklists that week, 776 in all63%
Doyle ArmNoxubee County, best late April · 24 checklists that week, 301 in all44%
Bluff LakeNoxubee County, best late April · 22 checklists that week, 563 in all32%
West HeadHarrison County, best late April · 20 checklists that week, 112 in all19%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In Mississippi, the Common Gallinule is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (2.9% of those checklists).
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.Week-by-week table
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
0.9%
0.8%
0.6%
1.2%
February
1.1%
1.0%
0.9%
1.6%
March
1.8%
1.6%
1.7%
2.0%
April
2.3%
2.4%
2.9%
2.6%
May
2.5%
2.2%
1.7%
2.3%
June
2.5%
2.3%
2.3%
2.2%
July
2.9%
2.5%
2.4%
1.8%
August
2.2%
1.9%
2.1%
2.5%
September
3.0%
2.5%
1.7%
1.8%
October
2.4%
2.1%
2.0%
2.0%
November
1.7%
1.7%
1.3%
1.1%
December
0.5%
1.2%
1.5%
1.0%
Neighboring states
Alabama: arrives early February, 1 week later than Mississippi
Georgia: year-round, peaks the second week of January
Texas: arrives early March, 5 weeks later than Mississippi
Common questions
When do Common Gallinules arrive in Mississippi?
Common Gallinules reach Mississippi in late January, are common by early February, peak in late April (2.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid November.
When do Common Gallinules leave Mississippi?
Most Common Gallinules have left Mississippi by mid November, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Common Gallinule in Mississippi?
The Common Gallinule is reported most often in late April, on about 2.6% of Mississippi checklists.
Where in Mississippi are Common Gallinules seen most often?
By county, Madison County, Holmes County, and Noxubee County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Common Gallinule (counties with at least 200 checklists).
