Field Guide

Birds

Showing 61 - 70 of 74 results
Photo of Canada goose swimming
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Canada geese are recognizable by their brownish bodies, black necks and heads, and a distinctive broad white patch that runs beneath their heads from ear to ear.
Photo of a ring-billed gull standing on a rock, water in background.
Ring-Billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
The ring-billed gull is Missouri’s most common gull. Adults can be told from our other most common gulls by their yellow legs and yellow bill with a black ring near the tip.
Photo of a snow goose standing in a winter field
Snow Goose
Chen caerulescens
The snow goose has two color forms: white and blue. The “blue goose” was once considered a separate species. Both share the distinctive feature of a black “lipstick” streak along the edge of the bill.
Photo of a northern mockingbird perched on sumac branch with snow falling.
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
One of the best-known U.S. songbirds, the northern mockingbird can sing endlessly, night and day, repeating phrases from the songs of other birds. Its white wing patches are conspicuous in flight.
Image of a male scarlet tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
In summer, scarlet tanagers feed on insects and fruit in the canopy of oak-hickory forests and in large shade trees of the eastern U.S. and southern Canada.
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.
Northern rough-winged swallow perched on barbed wire, viewed from side
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Northern rough-winged swallows are sleek, agile fliers with brown upperparts, brownish-white throat, and whitish underparts. They are common summer residents in Missouri. People most often see them chasing flying insects over land or water.
Mississippi kite in flight, seen from below
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
The Mississippi kite is a rare summer resident in Missouri, usually seen flying above forests and grasslands along the Mississippi River valley. The flight of this rather small raptor is buoyant, like that of a swallow, or, yes, a kite.
Male blue-gray gnatcatcher perched on a small branch with tail cocked up
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Male blue-gray gnatcatchers are bluish gray and females are gray. The underparts are pale gray. The tail is black with white outer feathers, so when folded it appears white from below. There is a white eye ring. Common summer residents in Missouri, they habitually jerk their tails from side to side.
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.
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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