Watching birds at feeders can increase your bird-ID skills and brighten your day. You can feed birds year-round or just in winter when natural foods are tougher to find. Birds flock to backyard feeders especially when snow or ice covers their natural foods and temperatures fall to extreme lows.
Learn what seeds, feeders, and landscaping choices will attract which birds to your Missouri backyard.
Food Preferences
Some birds, such as tufted titmice and chickadees, are finicky eaters, whereas mourning doves and white-throated sparrows will eat about any type of seed. Many people start with black-oil sunflower seeds and add other seeds to draw in more species.
Title
Seeds
Sunflower Seed and Millet
Black, oil-type sunflower seed and white millet rate best for attracting birds. You can buy these separately or find them in wild bird seed mixes. If buying seed mixes, note that many mixes contain milo and corn, which many backyard birds do not eat.
Safflower Seeds
Not all birds love safflower seed, but tufted titmice and cardinals are among the species that do.
If starlings are a problem at your feeders, you can try putting out safflower seeds since starlings generally do not eat them.
Peanuts
You can feed peanuts either shelled or in the shell. Shelled peanuts will attract woodpeckers, Carolina wrens, titmice, chickadees, and blue jays. There are specialized feeders designed for shelled peanuts.
Peanuts in the shell can be placed in a feeder or on the ground. Blue jays are especially fond of unshelled peanuts and will often stash them or bury them to eat later. Squirrels are also fond of peanuts, so keep that in mind when choosing where to place peanuts.
Title
Suet and Mealworms
Suet
Suet for birds is generally sold as a block of hardened beef fat with seeds, nuts, or dried fruits mixed in. The blocks fit into specially designed wire cages that can hang from a limb or post. Suet is a high-energy food that attracts many insect-eating birds. It can provide calories to help keep birds warm in winter or meet the high-energy demands of egg-laying during the breeding season.
Woodpeckers, chickadees, tufted titmice, and nuthatches are especially fond of suet. Other species that may visit suet feeders include Carolina wrens, ruby-crowned kinglets, and bluebirds.
You can buy blocks of suet at the store or make it yourself. Recipes for suet can be found on many birdwatching websites.
Suet often becomes rancid in warm weather and it can sometimes get melty and rub off on birds’ feathers, so offering suet in the summer is not recommended. Peanut butter is a good substitute for suet in the summer. Mix one part peanut butter with five parts corn meal and stuff the mixture into holes drilled in a hanging log or into the crevices of a large pinecone. This all-season mixture — as well as suet — attracts woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, and, occasionally, warblers.
Mealworms
Mealworms can be a great way to attract insect-eating birds that might not otherwise visit your feeders. These include bluebirds and some warbler species.
Title
Fruit and Nectar
Fruit
Orioles and catbirds, and sometimes red-bellied woodpeckers, will come to feeders for oranges and berries. Especially during migration, fruits can provide extra energy to the birds’ regular diet, but serve them cautiously. Oranges can become fermented in warm weather, so it’s important to check them regularly and make sure they aren’t beginning to spoil. You can buy feeders for orioles that are designed to hold half an orange or orange slices.
Nectar
Hummingbirds feed on nectar in flowers and small insects attracted to native plants. You can draw them to your yard by planting native flowers or by putting up a special feeder filled with sugar water.
Feeding Stations
Bird-feeding stations may be as simple as seeds placed on the ground or as complicated as a feeder accessible only to birds of certain weights to keep squirrels away. A plain wooden platform can be erected as a simple feeding station. Some edging around the outside will help keep the seed from falling to the ground. You may like to add a roof and three walls to keep the rain off, or you may prefer the open platform for easy bird access and for the additional brightness for picture taking. A good way to offer sunflower seeds to birds is with a commercially available, clear-plastic cylinder or silo-type feeder.
Different birds have different feeding habits. Some songbirds, such as the dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, and Harris’s sparrow, prefer to feed directly on the ground. Cardinals and blue jays will feed either on the ground or on a platform feeder. Goldfinches and chickadees also will visit small, plastic feeders that are fixed to the outside of a window by a suction cup.
Where to put your feeders
Remember to locate your feeding station outside a room where you can relax and enjoy the visitors.
Hang feeders in places where birds can see approaching predators and fly to safety. Hawks and house cats are both known to hunt at backyard feeders.
American goldfinches eating sunflower seeds
Noppadol Paothong
Be careful of placing feeders near windows where vegetation or sky is reflected. If you hear or see birds hit your window, treat the outside of the window immediately with opaque stickers so the birds know the window is not a pass-through or escape route. Window strikes are the second-largest contributor to wild bird mortality. They are very common — act quickly if you see evidence of strikes. Treating windows is an easy fix! Learn more about how to prevent window strikes from the American Bird Conservancy.
Year-Round Feeding
Many people enjoy feeding songbirds year-round. In fact, the most crucial times in the life of many birds are in the early spring when naturally occurring seeds are scarcer and also during inclement weather in winter. In the spring and summer, many young birds follow their parents to the feeder. It is fascinating to watch the parents show their young how to crack open the seeds.
Some birds, such as the Baltimore oriole and the ruby-throated hummingbird, are only found in Missouri in the summer for breeding season and leave in the fall for the winter. Orioles may be attracted to the feeding stations with fruit. Hummingbirds come to special feeders filled with sugar water mimicking nectar.
Bird-Feeding Myths
You may have heard that it's important to continue feeding once you start it. However, no research indicates that during normal weather birds will starve if feeding is stopped for a time. Birds often visit many feeding stations in a neighborhood. You will be amazed at how fast birds discover new feeding stations. Their natural curiosity and mobility ensure their success at making the rounds.
Another myth is that feeding birds will prevent them from migrating. Birds know when to begin migration based on other triggers, like changes in day length.
Keeping Feeders Clean
Wash feeders regularly to prevent the spread of diseases between birds.
Hummingbird feeders should be washed every week or two to keep mold and bacteria from building up. During hot, humid summer weeks, wash feeders every 2–3 days — and replace the sugar water just as frequently. It is especially important to check the small openings through which the hummingbirds drink to make sure there is no black mold.
Other Tips
Provide Water
To increase the popularity of your feeding station, provide water — especially during drought or when the temperature stays below freezing for several days. Carolina wrens and bluebirds may be enticed to feeding stations during the winter, too, if water is available.
Add a bird bath to your yard. Replace the water every day or two to keep the water fresh and clean. Birds often leave feces or feathers in the water, which can grow bacteria that can spread to other birds. Wash the bird bath every week or two with a weak vinegar-water solution (nine parts water to one part vinegar). To keep water from freezing in winter, you can get a heater to place in the bird bath or find affordable heated bird baths.
Landscape with Native Plants
In addition to selecting the right seed for your bird-feeding stations, you can attract more birds to your yard with native plants that provide cover and additional seeds and insects. Quite often in new housing developments, trees and shrubs for nesting, perching, and escaping predators are in short supply. Birds need places to perch overnight and vantage points from which they can view the feeder and also watch for potential predators. Evergreens offer valuable, year-round cover from the weather in addition to secluded nesting sites.
Birding Events
Birding is the fastest growing outdoor recreational activity. Join us for a morning of birding and experience the activity everyone is flocking to. Everyone, from beginner to pro, is invited on a guided birding adventure in the park. Thanks to the unique features found around Walker Lake, Kirkwood Park is a perfect place to go birding. A Missouri Department of Conservation naturalist and Kirkwood Park staff will be your guides.
No binoculars? No problem! Binoculars and field guides will be available for those that need them.
Bobwhite quail maybe the most beloved game bird found in Missouri. Their elusiveness, unique sound, and management make them an intriguing candidate for Creature Feature. Join us to learn about the interwoven connection between bobwhite, land managers, bird hunters, and those who appreciate wildlife.
Creature Feature is a monthly virtual program that aims to educate Missourians about the natural world one species at a time. Register to receive a Webex meeting link to view the program. The meeting link will be sent out a few days before the program as well as the day of the program.
Start your morning with birdsong, a morning walk, and complimentary bird-friendly coffee! Join a Powder Valley naturalist for an early morning program celebrating the joy of birdwatching. We'll begin with a short presentation on the how-tos and benefits of birdwatching. Hear about the conservation challenges our birds face, and how something as simple as the coffee we drink can help protect their habitats.
After the presentation, we'll go for a short birding walk with our coffee to look and listen for Powder Valley's feathered friends. Learn some easy ways to bird, sip coffee, and enjoy the beauty birdwatching has to offer. After the program, you'll receive your own birdwatching chart you can use at your home feeder.
We will be offering coffee from Café Cristina, a family farm with a small-scale mill and roaster located on the south slopes of the Irazú volcano. Café Cristina is a very important site for neotropical migrants, being one of the few remaining habitats in the eastern Central Valley of Costa Rica; literally an oasis amidst the desert of urban sprawl. Hot brewed coffee and cold brew will be available, complete with all the fixins one might need.
Bring your binoculars and meet us at the front doors of the nature center. A member of our staff will greet you at the door to let you in as the building will technically be closed until 8:00 a.m. for those who aren’t registered for this program. All members of your party must register in advance separately. If you do not have binoculars, we have a pair you can borrow! The birding walk will take place on Tanglevine Trail, which is a flat loop measuring to be about 1/4-mile-long. Please make sure to wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather. Be even friendlier to our environment by bringing your own mug or cup for coffee!
Curl up with a warm drink and join us three days before Christmas for a comfy, cozy, virtual program that brings the magic of winter birding right into your living room. Between last minute wrapping and holiday baking, take a peaceful break to spot the feathered visitors that brighten Missouri backyards in winter - and learn who’s nibbling at your feeder while you sip something warm.
What to expect
• Bird Identification - Meet some common winter birds of Missouri and learn quick, memorable ID tips you can use all season long.
• Birding Essentials - Simple gear, yard ethics, and feeder setups that welcome birds; plus winter care tips to keep your yard bird friendly.
• Bird Sounds - Listen for calls and songs that reveal who’s nearby - great for spotting birds when they’re hidden in branches.
• Distinguishing Features - Easy visual cues to tell look-alikes apart so you can confidently name birds for friends and family.
Holiday cozy touches
• Bring Your Favorite Warm Drink - We’ll invite participants to share their cozy beverage of choice (hot cocoa, cider, tea, or coffee) and a quick “what I’m sipping” moment to start the program.
• Seasonal visuals and tips - Books that inspire birders all year long and can be given as festive gifts.
Who should join
• Anyone! Beginners, experts, and those looking for a peaceful, nature filled moment during the holiday rush.
Grab your favorite mug and a window seat - we’ll bring the bird stories and the holiday cheer. See you online for warm drinks and the magic of winter birds!
This program WILL NOT be recorded. Please use a valid email as that is how we will send the virtual link for the class.
Join us for a beginner winter-bird ID program and discover the various feathered visitors you’re likely to encounter during the cold months in Missouri. This program reviews 30+ common Missouri winter birds, their physical characteristics, and what foods they’re attracted to.Tips will be provided on how to create a bird-friendly environment to attract birds to your backyard.
Also, check out the Winter Bird Hike program we'll be offering later that day and register for it separately if interested in attending. Thanks!
Come join us for a relaxing hike on Rock Quarry Trail at Rockwoods Reservation as we identify some of our local winter Missouri birds by sight and sound along the way. Whether you're just curious about birding and looking to get started or have been doing it for a while, all are welcome to join!
Also, check out the Winter Bird ID program we'll be offering earlier that day and register for it separately if interested in attending. Thanks!
St. James, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) & St. James Parks & Recreation Department is hosting a “Beginners Birding Walk” event for families & individuals at St. James Park on April 10, 2027 between 4 – 5:30 PM.
Enjoy a leisurely walk around the St. James Park grounds, observing the birds that use this oasis of varied remnant prairie, riparian zone, open woodlands, savanna, pine forest, and glade. The walk is guided by Missouri Master Naturalists and MDC staff. While geared toward the beginner, birders of all skill levels are welcome. During the walk, bird identification, including old school methods and current apps, will be covered, as well as life history and related citizen-science opportunities. The walk will be on sidewalks, mixed natural surfaces, as well as uneven terrain. Bring binoculars if you have them, because there will be a limited number of binoculars available for use from MDC. Program is limited to 30 registered participants: ages 5 and older.
For more information, contact Dwight Warnke at Dwight.Warnke@mdc.mo.gov.