Field Guide

Birds

Showing 1 - 10 of 15 results
bobolink
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
The male bobolink is the only North American bird that has light feathers above and dark feathers below. In fall and winter, the male resembles the buffy and brown-streaked female.
Image of a song sparrow
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
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.
Image of lincoln's sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
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.
Photo of a savannah sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Savannah sparrows live in open habitat with nearby dense cover. In Missouri, we see them during migration and winters, but not summers.
Image of a swamp sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
The swamp sparrow is an uncommon winter resident in most of Missouri, but as the name indicates it may be more easily found in wet areas.
Image of a dark-eyed junco
Dark-Eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
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.
Image of eastern bluebird
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
The eastern bluebird is the state bird of Missouri. Many say its song sounds like “Cheer cheerful charmer.” The male has blue upperparts and rusty and white underparts.
Photo of a spotted sandpiper standing on a muddy shore, side view.
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
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.
Image of a rose-breasted grosbeak
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
The rose-breasted grosbeak's song is a beautiful, robin-like carol. Grosbeaks are chubby birds with heavy bills used for gathering and eating beetles, seeds, and fruits.
American Golden-Plover
American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominica
The American golden-plover is a robin-sized shorebird that makes an incredible annual odyssey from Argentina to the Arctic tundra, a distance of over 20,000 miles. It flies through Missouri in spring.
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.

Related Content
Bats