Birds
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Dryobates pubescens (formerly Picoides pubescens)
Description
Downy woodpeckers are ornately decorated with black-and-white upperparts and white underparts. They are often seen foraging for insects on tree bark or visiting suet feeders.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Poecile atricapillus and P. carolinensis
Description
Chickadees are common in backyards. These black-capped, perky insectivores are present year-round. There are two species in Missouri that look quite similar.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Icterus spurius
Description
The orchard oriole is a common summer resident in Missouri. Males are rusty and black; females are olive green and yellowish. Look for them high in trees in places with scattered trees, especially near water.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Sturnus vulgaris
Description
Few Americans love this bold nonnative bird, purposefully introduced to our continent in the late 1800s and now abundant throughout our country.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Junco hyemalis
Description
Dark-eyed juncos, or "snowbirds" as they are widely known, are sparrows. Juncos are abundant throughout Missouri during the winter. What many people are not aware of is that there are two color forms of juncos that occur here.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Hylocichla mustelina
Description
This is the melodious “bell bird” of Missouri forests. Though this relative of the American robin and eastern bluebird might be hard to locate, its flutelike voice decorates the sound of woodlands the way wildflowers decorate the forest floor.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Actitis macularius
Description
The spotted sandpiper is one of our best-known shorebirds, with its spotted breast, orange bill, unique teetering, tail-bobbing gait, and enormous breeding range.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Description
Male Carolina wrens sing a loud “teakettle, teakettle, teakettle.” This species is a rich reddish brown with white throat and eyebrow. Pairs hunt furtively in brushy tangles, tails cocked upward.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Seiurus aurocapilla
Description
Ovenbirds sing a clear, ringing "TEACHer-TEACHer-TEACHer-TEACHer" that gets progressively louder. A common migrant, it forages among leaves on the forest floor.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Cardinalis cardinalis
Description
The male northern cardinal is a bright red bird with a head crest and black mask. An excellent singer, this familiar backyard bird is beloved by many.
See Also
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Hemaris diffinis
Description
The snowberry clearwing is a moth that confuses people because it looks like a bumblebee and flies like a hummingbird!
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Hyles lineata
Description
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.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Darapsa myron
Description
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.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Perimyotis subflavus (formerly Pipistrellus subflavus)
Description
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.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Myotis grisescens
Description
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.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Myotis lucifugus
Description
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.
Media
Species Types
Scientific Name
Myotis sodalis
Description
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.