Field Guide

Birds

Showing 1 - 9 of 9 results
Image of a male American redstart
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
American redstarts flit among tree branches, drooping their wings, fanning their tails, and leaping into the air to catch insects. Males are black and orange; females are olive-gray and white.
Photo of a bay-breasted warbler
Bay-Breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea (formerly Dendroica castanea)
The male bay-breasted warbler is easy to identify, while females and nonbreeding males present a challenge. This species migrates through Missouri in spring and fall.
Ruby-throated hummingbird in flight
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
The ruby-throated hummingbird, a tiny bird with a long needlelike bill, is well-known and beloved. It hovers and flies forward and backward with a humming sound. In the light, the male's ruby-red throat shines like a jewel.
Eastern Wood Pewee
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Contopus virens
Its distinctive, slurred “pee-a-wee” song helps differentiate the eastern wood-pewee from our other flycatchers, and from most other small, olive-brown birds.
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Vireo flavifrons
While most vireos are drab, the yellow-throated vireo boasts a bright yellow breast, throat, and spectacles. Look for it in places with mature trees.
Photo of a warbling vireo perched on a small branch
Warbling Vireo
Vireo gilvus
The warbling vireo is a drab little bird with a colorful, brilliant song. It’s a common summer resident. Listen for it in forests, woodlands, and suburbs, especially in large trees near water.
Photo of a male summer tanager perched on a small branch
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Adult male summer tanagers are entirely red — an unforgettable sight as they forage for insects among bright green tree leaves in early summer.
Ruby-crowned kinglet, male, perched on a bird feeder
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Corthylio calendula
Kinglets are very small, active, insect-eating birds that Missourians see in winter and during migration in spring and fall. Ruby-crowned kinglets are grayish olive, have white wing bars, and flick their wings as they flit around. Males have a small red crown that they occasionally raise.
Golden-crowned kinglet perched on a small tree branch in winter
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Kinglets are very small, active, insect-eating birds that nervously flit around. Golden-crowned kinglets are grayish olive, with black and white striping on the sides of the head. The black cap has a yellow center. Males have a bright orange center to the yellow crown stripe.
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.

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