Missouri is an awesome place to bird! Our state boasts a diverse array of beautiful birds and habitats. The first-ever Missouri Birding Challenge offers new and experienced birders a fun way to meet birding challenges in a variety of different categories. We hope that people new to birdwatching will get outdoors and try it out.
Seasoned birders can explore new birding areas in the state with a bit of competition in the mix. To provide an avenue for all aspiring birders to participate, the challenge offers a variety of categories by age or experience level. Winners in each category will be drawn at random, so everyone has a chance to win one of our birdtastic prizes.
Learn about the Missouri Birding Challenge rules and prizes.
Missouri Birding Challenge webinar series
Between January and May 2025, Missouri bird conservation partners offered a Missouri Birding Challenge webinar series. The webinars are geared to introduce you to birding and educate you on key issues around birds and bird conservation in our state. If you missed the live webinars, you can still watch them here.
Missed a webinar? Watch it here.
Introduction and Benefits to Birding with MDC Ornithologist Kristen Heath-Acre
Presented Jan. 16, 2025
New to birding? No idea where to start? Wondering what all the fuss is about? No problem! Kristen will walk attendees through the basics of birding, how to get started, and why birding is so beneficial to our health. Learn why we need birds, and birds need us!
eBird and Citizen Science with USFWS Ornithologist Sarah Kendrick
Presented Feb. 13, 2025
Join Sarah to learn about eBird, a massive online database that logs birders’ sightings and is now a major contributor to bird conservation science. Learn how to use eBird to log bird sightings and how this data source is revolutionizing how we see the magic of migration and tracking bird population trends over time.
Missouri Birds and Habitats with USFWS Ornithologist Sarah Kendrick
Presented March 6, 2025
Does birdwatching seem overwhelming? Too many species and habitats? Join Sarah for a primer on bird identification by sight and sound using clues about the bird and its habitat. Whether new to birding or experienced, there are always tips and tricks to learn in the world of birds.
The Full Annual Cycle of Bird Conservation with MDC Ornithologist Kristen Heath-Acre
Presented April 3, 2025
Join Kristen to learn about the incredible journeys that Missouri’s migratory birds make every year. Learn where these birds go, why, and how researchers are investigating the full annual cycle of migratory birds to better understand, and hopefully reverse, troubling declines in bird populations.
Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds at Home with Dana Ripper of the Missouri River Bird Observatory
Presented May 1, 2025
Birds are in trouble. Research shows a loss of nearly a third of North American birds over that past 50 years. Don’t lose hope! Learn how to help bird populations at home and how to make a big impact with just seven simple actions.
The inaugural 2025 Missouri Birding Challenge was a huge success with more than 630 participants forming 441 teams! Between May 1 and 15, these teams logged 160,600 individual birds of more than 300 bird species in 95 Missouri counties.
The challenge hosted 5 categories, and all categories’ teams were entered into drawings for prizes — here are our winners:
Nestling category: Chickadee Chicks, Binocular Bearers, and Little Brown Jobbers
Fledgling category: Ballwin Birds
Backyard Birder category: Tadpoles
Dabbler category: Patrick Warblers
Competitive Coot category: Slightly Hawkward and Nimble-witted Nuthatches
We also give bragging rights to the Chuck-Will’s-Winners team, which logged the most species — a whopping 244 species on 98 separate checklists all across the state!
The Best Team Name winner is awarded to A Nested Development for creativity and fun. Runners up were Fellowship of the Wing, Wingardium Birdiosa, and I’d Like to Speak to the Tanager.
Challenge registration funds will support migratory bird research using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System in Missouri and beyond. We are excited to share the great Motus work we will be able to do with the challenge fund!
Challenge registration open: April 1-30, 2025
Birding Challenge dates: May 1-15, 2025
Deadline to submit Challenge Trip Reports: May 18, 2025
If you are drawn for a prize, you will be contacted by June 1, 2025.
Popular birds to look for in Missouri
Dark-eyed junco: Look for this small sparrow-like bird on the ground under your bird feeder in winter. This little bird breeds in the boreal forest and spends the winter in our warmer Missouri temps.
Brown creeper: Listen for the high-pitched “tseet” of this teeny bird in forest foraging on trunks of deciduous trees in winter. Look for movement — its camouflage is on point as it spirals up the trunk!
Belted kingfisher: Check for the rattling call of this fish-eater along streams, rivers, or in wetlands. Females have the rusty red belt, and males do not.
