About the Area
The Audubon Center at Riverlands is located in the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a 3,700-acre refuge of floodplain habitat on the Mississippi River just 4.2 miles north of its confluence with the Missouri River. The sanctuary is designated as an “Important Bird Area” and recognized as a top eBird hotspot in Missouri, with more than 300 documented species.
The sanctuary provides access to a variety of habitats and features 8.5 miles of trails, a viewing platform, and a uniquely designed avian observatory overlooking Heron Pond. Trails are generally flat and well-established. The trails on Ellis Island provide access to the main stem of the Mississippi River. The habitat diversity is excellent, so make sure to carry binoculars and a field guide.
The Audubon Center has ample parking, birding checklists, trail maps, a list of recent sightings, and knowledgeable staff. Several scopes are available to view birds on Ellis Bay and Ellis Island, a welcome relief during inclement weather. Visitors will also find interesting exhibits on birds, other wildlife, and river ecology.
Tundra swans, greater white-fronted geese, and numerous other waterfowl can often be viewed nestled among the largest population of wintering trumpeter swans in the interior U.S. Dozens of bald eagles perch on Ellis Island, and American white pelicans fishing in Ellis Bay is a common sight. Gulls fill the sky around Melvin Price Lock and Dam, while nearly every species of duck can be viewed in and around Ellis Bay. Peregrine falcons are often sighted on the Clark Bridge as northern harriers and American kestrels glide and hover over the prairie marsh.
Bottomland woodlands, marshes, mudflats, and pools provide excellent opportunities to view marsh birds, wading birds, and waterfowl. As a critical stopover for shorebirds during fall and spring migrations, Riverlands provides ample opportunity to see avocets, godwits, dowitchers, plovers, sandpipers, snipes, stilts, and more. Eurasian tree sparrows are commonly seen around the immediate vicinity of the center. Enhance the Riverlands birding experience with a trip to the nearby Edward "Ted" Jones Confluence Point State Park and Cora Island. Both destinations are only minutes away by car.
Check out the center’s website and social media for updates and recent sightings.
South of U.S. Highway 67 just west of the Mississippi River.
There are many local services and tourist attractions in the St. Louis metro area that are open almost any time of day. While you’re in the area, be sure to visit the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. As you make your way into the northern portion of the St. Louis metro area, you’ll come across Bellefontaine Cemetery, another unlikely birding hotspot.