Backyard birds in Olive Branch, Mississippi
Which birds visit Olive Branch yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Olive Branch's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 34.962°, -89.830°
- Population
- 36,010
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 31 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 48 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:28 AM / 5:45 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 10 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 7b–9a
Nesting timing in Olive Branch
The state guides give nesting windows for Mississippi as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 32.6°N). Olive Branch is at 35.0°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 10 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Olive Branch goes from 9 h 48 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 31 min in June, a 4 h 42 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window March–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window March–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Carolina Chickadee — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window April–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- Tufted Titmouse — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window March–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Blue Jay — state window March–July
- House Finch — state window March–August
Birds you can expect in Olive Branch
Year-round residents (29)
Northern Cardinals, Eastern Bluebirds, Carolina Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Chipping Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatchs, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Phoebes, Pine Warblers, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves
Summer breeders (11)
Purple Martins, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Orchard Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds
Winter visitors (16)
American Goldfinchs, House Wrens, Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Tree Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Rufous Hummingbirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows
Mild winters with rare hard freezes.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Olive Branch
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Olive Branch, sunrise is around 6:28 AM in mid-April, 5:45 AM at the June solstice and 7:03 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Olive Branch yards
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Nearby cities in Mississippi
- Southaven — 11 mi away, nesting about the same time as Olive Branch
- Hernando — 13 mi away, nesting about the same time as Olive Branch
- Oxford — 45 mi away, nesting about the same time as Olive Branch
- Clarksdale — 67 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Olive Branch
- Tupelo — 80 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Olive Branch
- Greenwood — 102 mi away, nesting roughly 6 days earlier than Olive Branch
Frequently asked
What birds live in Olive Branch all year?
Year-round residents across Mississippi include Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker. All of them visit backyard feeders in Olive Branch.
When do birds start nesting in Olive Branch?
Olive Branch sits at a different latitude from Mississippi's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 10 days later than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Olive Branch?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Olive Branch, sunrise is around 6:28 AM in mid-April and 5:45 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Mississippi
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.