APPENDIX IX 381
The species listed in this Appendix are migratory through or rare visitors to Mississippi. They are
included as groups in an effort to acknowledge the importance of Mississippi’s habitats to the
conservation and survival of the species.
The pelagic species, with the exception of the Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) are rare
visitors to Mississippi. We included these species based on their status as highly imperiled or of high
concern in the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, Version 1. As our strategy evolves and
we gain further knowledge into the importance of Mississippi’s marine habitats, we will be better
prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure Mississippi’s part in the conservation of these species.
The shorebirds included in this list received a status of highly imperiled or of high concern in the 2004
High Priority Shorebird list from the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. Some of these species do
winter in Mississippi, however based on expert opinion, they did not warrant inclusion in the Species of
Greatest Conservation Need list developed for this version of Mississippi’s CWCS. By including these
species as a group, we recognize the responsibility Mississippi has in protecting and/or managing habitat
for migratory shorebirds, especially in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.
Mississippi is an important migration route for many neotropical migrant songbirds. Radar from the
Pascagoula River basin shows wave after wave of migrants moving up the river to their northern
breeding grounds. Additionally, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the last staging area for migrants as they
embark on the fall southerly trans-gulf migration, and is the first landfall for the northerly trans-gulf
migration. All of the species in this group had a combined conservation score of ≥ 12 or a population
trend of ≥ 4 in the Partners in Flight North American Landbird Conservation Plan. Because Because
some of these species occur in Mississippi for a relatively short period of time during migration they
were not included in our SGCN list. However they were considered as a group in the prioritization of
habitats.