The Show Me state sure has a way of showing residents and visitors Missouri birds, all 435 species of them. Then there’s always the caveats that all the birds on the Missouri bird checklist don’t hang around on a consistent basis. Some are what is known as accidental or casual visitors. They had not planned on visiting Missouri, but occasionally they end up there.
Taking all the caveats into account, approximately 330 bird species can consistently be the subject at the end of a pair of birder binoculars throughout the state.
It does not take a pair of binoculars to spot the blue feathers of the Eastern Bluebird, the state bird of Missouri since 1927. Attracting bluebirds to the yard can be as easy as placing a nest box in the yard. Remember, bluebirds need their space so insure the boxes are placed in an open area with about three hundred feet away from each other.
According to the Audubon Society of Missouri,
Missouri’s topography is defined mainly by rolling farmland with remnant prairie to the north and west, and the forested Ozarks and the flat alluvial plain in the south and southeast. These habitats make the state a haven both for woodland species like Cerulean Warbler and for open-country birds like Dickcissel.
Urban Birding
Missouri birds also thrive in the city. In addition to the wide open spaces and forests of the state, Missouri is also book-ended by two large urban areas, Kansas City in the west and St. Louis in the east. Each city has avid birders ready to help tourists plan a perfect birding day trip.
Here’s a sample of the year round and migratory birds they see on a regular basis. Please press the birds button for additional bird pictures and bird identification tips.
American Goldfinch
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
Blue Jay
Brown-headed Cowbird
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Gray Catbird
Winter Wren
White-breasted Nuthatch
Loggerhead Shrike
American Redstart (female)
Baltimore Oriole
Ovenbird
Red Crossbill
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Grosbeak
Evening Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
American Avocet
Kildeer
Of the approximately 350 bird species documented in the Kansas City area, the locals suggest that about 120 get labeled as common. Tourists can see them on a regular basis by hiking any of the myriad birding trails that can easily be accessed from an exit when driving on I70 or Highway 169.
St. Louis Audubon recently celebrated its one hundredth birthday, indicating a long lived love affair between the city and its birds. Being situated next to the Mississippi flyway means that St. Louis residents enjoy the migratory season up close and personal.
The regional St. Louis bird checklist notes over 350 birds documented within a fifty mile radius of the city. Birding opportunities are available throughout the year. Spring means the warblers are in full migratory flight and urban birders have the opportunity to see about three dozen different species.
When visiting the city, don’t miss an opportunity to see the Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
The resident bird most closely associated with St. Louis is the Eurasian Tree Sparrow (locally known as the ETS). A group of these birds were released in south St. Louis in 1870, and managed to establish a breeding population that remains today. As St. Louis grew, the range of this suburb-loving sparrow spread with it. Today, there are still areas of St. Louis where ETS can be found, but many of the best locations are in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties of Missouri, Madison and Calhoon counties in Illinois, and north from the St. Louis area along the Illinois River.
Missouri Birds: Woodpeckers
Missouri woodpeckers consist of seven species covering all five native woodpecker genera. Generally they can be found throughout the state. In fact, all seven species can be found by birders in St. Louis.
Six of the seven species are year round residents, although some flickers and red-headed woodpeckers do migrate south depending on local food conditions. Only the Yellow-bellied sapsuckers migrates on a yearly basis. Contrary to most migrations, the sapsuckers winter in Missouri rather than using areas of the state as a breeding ground.
Here’s a quick run down.
The red crested head and white stripes across the face makes it difficult to mistake the Pileated Woodpecker (pictured above) for any other species.
Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker.
Red-bellied woodpecker
Red-headed woodpecker
Woodpecker enthusiasts with backyard feeders can attest to their gregarious nature. They don’t mind flocking in large groups when food is plentiful. In those times, they can be a bit vocal. In the northernmost area of their range they are a summer resident for breeding and then migrate south for the winter.
The Downy Woodpecker adapts equally well to most wilderness and residential areas with trees.
A short, gentle “pik” and a squeaky descending “kikikikiki” growing faster to the end are the common calls of this bird.
Everything that is written about the Downy Woodpecker can be written about the Hairy Woodpecker with few caveats. The picture highlights the most important caveat, they have a larger bill than the Downy. Otherwise, the black and white striped face, white belly and back feathers look very similar. Males also have a red crown.
They are a very common species across the United States because they are adaptable to forests and residential areas alike. Look for them at the backyard feeder.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker