Field Guide

Birds

Showing 1 - 10 of 24 results
Photo of a pied-billed grebe nonbreeding form.
Pied-Billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
Small, brown, ducklike birds, pied-billed grebes have thick gray bills with a dark ring around the middle in summer. They dive underwater to forage.
Photo of an American coot.
American Coot
Fulica americana
Although it floats like a duck, the American coot is actually in the rail family. Note its short tail and wings, pointed white bill, chickenlike walk, and toes with scalloped lobes.
Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water.
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Hooded mergansers have crests that trail behind the head or can be raised to create a circular shape. Their bills are narrow and serrated. Males are black and white with chestnut flanks; females are brown.
Photograph of American White Pelican in flight
American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Graceful in flight, ungainly on land, and elegant on the water, the American white pelican is one of the largest birds in Missouri.
Photo of two ruddy ducks floating on water.
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
The ruddy duck is small, compact diving duck with a long, stiff tail that is often cocked up. Breeding males are conspicuous with their dark cinnamon body, bright white cheek patch, black head, and blue bill.
Photo of a male bufflehead duck floating on water
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Buffleheads are small, compact ducks with large, rounded heads. They bob lightly in the water, then, in a flash, dive below the surface.
Photo of a male common goldeneye floating on the surface of the Mississippi River
Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
The common goldeneye is a common migrant and winter resident in Missouri. A diving duck, it is usually found on open water of rivers and lakes.
Photo of trumpeter swan taking flight from water
Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus buccinator
The trumpeter swan is the largest waterfowl species in North America. It has been absent from the state throughout most of the 20th century, but today occurs as migrants and overwinters in our state.
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.

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