Birds in Oklahoma

The corners of Oklahoma, that is the northwestern and southwestern sides, stretch about 530 miles. If you look at the birding activities in these sites, the obvious conclusion is that the east and west does cover the Sooner State.

What Is The State Bird Of Oklahoma?

The Royal Scissor-tailed Flycatcher has been designated as Oklahoma’s state bird since 1951. Everything about the species will strike you as elegant and beautiful. They have a kind of gorgeousness to them that you would immediately assume they are royalty among birds. This graceful species has chosen Oklahoma as its main nesting range, so among the birds in Oklahoma, they’re one of the easiest to get a glimpse of as they’re the state’s top bird.

What Are the Top Bird Watching Spots In Oklahoma?

Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge has about 4000 acres to it. The birding highlights are the waterbirds. But it still has quite a range when it comes to birds in general. You will come across some Canada Goose, Mallard, Gadwall and Northern Shoveler.

Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is 32,197 acre with a lake that’s quite shallow and a salt flat- a particularly huge one, making up most of it. Your encounters are likely to be with Black-necked Stilt, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Greater Roadrunner, and Mississippi Kite.

How Many Birds Can You See in Oklahoma?

462 species have been spotted in Oklahoma. McCurtain has the highest count of species among the counties, the amount being 325. Oklahoma county and Tulsa share a mutual number of 322. Comanche and Cimarron also deserve a mention with 317 and 315 counts of species.

Red Slough WMA is Oklahoma’s beloved hotspot for bird watchers, delighted at the idea of coming across 316 species in an area. Tishomingo NWR and Hackberry Flat WMA also have loyal fans, hoping to catch the 261 and 256 species, many of which overlap, visiting the area.

Top Birds To See In Oklahoma

Tyrant Flycatchers are small, green colored birds. It has an extremely small bill, short legs and really big eyes compared to its overall size. The neck is quite nonexistent for the bird, as is the case with most small, round birds.

Phalaropes are also one of the most common birds of Oklahoma. These shorebirds have small eyes, slender necks, a slightly red patch around the neck area even though most of the color of the bird is black.

Common Birds To See In Oklahoma

Oklahoma city, Tulsa and Norman, all these cities are used to Brown headed cowbirds and Dark eyed juncos frequenting their backyard. Eastern Bluebird and Common Grackles also tend to follow visitors of Oklahoma everywhere.

Final Thoughts

From Granite uplands to bottomland hardwoods, Oklahoma covers a lot of habitat. It seems ineffectual to even wonder why the state attracts so many different birds and can offer such a rich birding experience. The only thing you can do is simply enjoy watching the birds in Oklahoma.