Field Guide

Birds

Showing 1 - 10 of 30 results
Media
Rusty Blackbird
Species Types
Scientific Name
Euphagus carolinus
Description
Missourians most often see rusty blackbirds during spring and fall migration, though in southern Missouri they sometimes stay through the winter. Look for them foraging in pastures and fields near water.
Media
Photo of a turkey vulture in flight
Species Types
Scientific Name
Cathartes aura
Description
The turkey vulture is perhaps the most commonly seen soaring bird in our state. Identify this "buzzard" from below by its shallow V-angled wing posture and two-toned pattern, with the forward edge of the wings black and the trailing half gray or silvery.
Media
Image of long-eared owl.
Species Types
Scientific Name
Asio otus
Description
The long-eared owl is strictly nocturnal and highly secretive by day. This crow-sized owl hunts over open country at night.
Media
Photo of a northern harrier in flight, viewed from side
Species Types
Scientific Name
Circus hudsonius (sometimes called C. cyaneus)
Description
The northern harrier is a hawk of wetlands and grasslands. It has long wings and tail, a white rump patch, and an owl-like facial disk. Males are gray, females are brown. The flight pattern is distinctive.
Media
american robin in water
Species Types
Scientific Name
Turdus migratorius
Description
A well-known symbol of springtime, this bird hunts on the ground for earthworms and insects. The robin’s colorful rusty-red breast is as welcome in spring as its cheerful singing at dawn and dusk.
Media
Image of a song sparrow
Species Types
Scientific Name
Melospiza melodia
Description
The song sparrow is an uncommon nester but a common winter resident throughout Missouri. You can find the song sparrow along forest edges and in many backyards.
Media
Image of a field sparrow
Species Types
Scientific Name
Spizella pusilla
Description
Field sparrows live in weedy, brushy fields, glades, and overgrown pastures. They have a gray head with rusty side stripes on the crown, and a rusty eyeline and cheek. The bill and legs are pink.
Media
Photo of a lark sparrow walking on the ground
Species Types
Scientific Name
Chondestes grammacus
Description
Lark sparrows have a distinctive pattern on the head, and a dark spot in the center of the clear, gray breast. They live in farmlands, prairies, roadsides, woodland edges, and row-crop fields.
Media
Image of an american tree sparrow
Species Types
Scientific Name
Spizelloides arborea (formerly Spizella arborea)
Description
In winter, American tree sparrows can be found throughout Missouri, especially in our northern and western sections. In summer, they nest along the tundra's edge in Canada and Alaska.
Media
Image of lincoln's sparrow
Species Types
Scientific Name
Melospiza lincolnii
Description
Lincoln's sparrow is small and shy, with fine streaks on its breast. In late fall and early spring, look for them along prairie edges and at bird feeders.
See Also
Media
Photo of a Snowberry Clearwing
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
White-Lined Sphinx Moth
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
Photo of a Virginia Creeper Sphinx moth
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
Photo of a tricolored bat hanging from a cave ceiling.
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
Photo of four gray myotises clinging to a cave ceiling.
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
Photo of a little brown myotis hanging from cave wall with lesions on its wrist.
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
Photo of an Indiana myotis hanging from a cave ceiling.
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.