Field Guide

Birds

Showing 81 - 90 of 113 results
Photo of a sharp-shinned hawk standing on the ground
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Sharp-shinned hawks flash out from trees and shrubs, surprising small birds and chasing them through the branches with great speed and accuracy.
large gray and white bird perching on a black branch
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Cooper's hawks have short, rounded wings and long, narrow, rudderlike tails. They are frequently seen foraging along hedgerows and brush-entangled fencerows.
Photo of a red-tailed hawk perched
Red-Tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Adult red-tailed hawks are large, brown above, and white below, with a brown-streaked band on the belly and a rust-red tail with a narrow black band near the end. They are commonly seen along highways, watching for prey.
Photo of a barn swallow in flight.
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Streamlined, agile fliers with forked tails, barn swallows build cup-shaped nests out of mud affixed to protected areas on the walls of barns and under bridges.
Photo of three cliff swallow nests attached to the soffit of a building, with a parent attending.
Cliff Swallow
Petrechelidon pyrrhonota
Cliff swallows fly in swarms around their clusters of juglike mud nests attached to overpasses, bridges, and other structures. Note the whitish forehead, buffy rump patch, and chestnut throat.
Photo of a Wilson's snipe, a pudgy, long-billed bird, wading in a marsh.
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Wilson’s snipe, formerly called the common snipe, is a migratory game bird in Missouri. Like its relative the woodcock, this member of the sandpiper family is not usually seen on mudflats. It prefers swamps and wet, grassy areas.
Photo of a northern shoveler pair floating on water.
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata (formerly Anas clypeata)
Northern shovelers are dabbling ducks with remarkably long, heavy-looking bills. The male’s green head may remind you of a mallard’s, but the bill is far heavier.
Photo of an American wigeon pair floating on water surface.
American Wigeon
Anas americana
A common migrant in Missouri, the American wigeon is a dabbling duck whose males have a white forehead and crown, a green band behind the eye and down the back of the neck, and a large white patch on the wing.
Photo of a pair of gadwall floating on water.
Gadwall
Anas strepera
The male gadwall is a rather drab-looking duck with a black rear end and a white speculum (wing patch). This dabbling duck is a common migrant in Missouri.
Photo of a green-winged teal pair floating on water.
Green-Winged Teal
Anas crecca
The green-winged teal is a fast, graceful flyer with an iridescent green wing patch. Teals are relatively small dabbling ducks and have been called the “bantams of the duck tribe.”
See Also
Photo of a Snowberry Clearwing
Snowberry Clearwing
Hemaris diffinis
The snowberry clearwing is a moth that confuses people because it looks like a bumblebee and flies like a hummingbird!
White-Lined Sphinx Moth
White-Lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata
The white-lined sphinx moth sometimes confuses people because it flies, hovers, and eats from flowers like a hummingbird. The adults often fly during daylight hours as well as in the night and are often found at lights.
Photo of a Virginia Creeper Sphinx moth
Virginia Creeper Sphinx
Darapsa myron
The Virginia creeper sphinx moth is common in woods and brushy areas and comes to lights at night. The larvae eat Virginia creeper and grape leaves.
Photo of a tricolored bat hanging from a cave ceiling.
Tri-Colored Bat
Perimyotis subflavus (formerly Pipistrellus subflavus)
Tri-colored bats, formerly called eastern pipistrelles, are relatively small and look pale yellowish or pale reddish brown. The main hairs are dark gray at the base, broadly banded with yellowish brown, and tipped with dark brown.
Photo of four gray myotises clinging to a cave ceiling.
Gray Myotis (Gray Bat)
Myotis grisescens
Gray myotises are difficult to distinguish from other mouse-eared bats. A key identifying feature of the gray myotis is that its wing is attached to the ankle and not at the base of the toes. It’s an endangered species.
Photo of a little brown myotis hanging from cave wall with lesions on its wrist.
Little Brown Myotis (Little Brown Bat)
Myotis lucifugus
The little brown myotis (little brown bat) is one of our most common bats, but populations are declining. White-nose syndrome has taken a heavy toll in northeastern states. This species is now listed as vulnerable across its range.
Photo of an Indiana myotis hanging from a cave ceiling.
Indiana Myotis (Indiana Bat)
Myotis sodalis
The Indiana myotis, or Indiana bat, summers along streams and rivers in north Missouri, raising its young under the bark of certain trees. It is an endangered species.

About Birds in Missouri

About 350 species of birds are likely to be seen in Missouri, though nearly 400 have been recorded within our borders. Most people know a bird when they see one — it has feathers, wings, and a bill. Birds are warm-blooded, and most species can fly. Many migrate hundreds or thousands of miles. Birds lay hard-shelled eggs (often in a nest), and the parents care for the young. Many communicate with songs and calls.