GAME BIRDS OF LOUISIANA: Doves, Ducks, Geese, Quail, Turkey, Coots, Gallinules, Rails, Snipe, and Woodcock (Wildlife of North America and other educational books.)

What is a game bird? A game bird is any species of bird hunted for its meat, sport, or trophy. Louisiana has a wealth of game birds and many days to take them. Let’s take a brief look at each one. First are the doves. Doves are well-known members of the pigeon family. In this family, doves are often a little smaller than pigeons and are some of the most abundant birds in North America. They reproduce in large numbers and are frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders. Look for them on the ground as they look for seeds to eat. Second are the ducks. The ducks are a large group, and many of them are year round residents, while others migrate in every winter. These are some of the most hunted birds we have, and enormous effort is spent every year on land, equipment, decoy placement, learning how to call them in, and much more. Third are the geese. Geese are the large, heavy bodied waterfowl group. Geese don’t come in nearly as many species as ducks, but they make up for this with their impressive size. Fourth are the quail. These short-tailed game birds are actively hunted on land, and often dogs are used to find them. They are masters at hiding in long grasses and will wait until a threat is very close before they jump. You will have to be fast to take down this bird. Fifth is the turkey. Turkeys have a unique look about them, especially the males, also called gobblers. They are a large bird and have some of the best eye sight in the bird world. You had better be a skilled hunter if you plan to take one of these birds as a trophy. Last, we will lump together some of the lesser-hunted birds on the Louisiana migratory game bird list. These are the coots, gallinules, rails, snipe, and woodcock. These birds aren’t hunted as often as the others, but they are still on the official list. I hope you enjoy learning how to identify all of these birds and the additional information found on each of them. Get out and find these birds when you can. Many of these you will be familiar with, but some you may not. No matter what the reason, get out and enjoy some of our amazing Louisiana wildlife. One of the best things about living in Louisiana is the animals. Enjoy!Michael Harrell Read more