Field Guide

Birds

Showing 91 - 100 of 105 results
Photo of a red-tailed hawk perched
Red-Tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Adult red-tailed hawks are large, brown above, and white below, with a brown-streaked band on the belly and a rust-red tail with a narrow black band near the end. They are commonly seen along highways, watching for prey.
Photo of a male cerulean warbler held in a hand
Cerulean Warbler
Setophaga cerulea (formerly Dendroica cerulea)
A summer resident in Missouri, the cerulean warbler is more common in the southeastern Ozarks but rare elsewhere in the state. Its numbers are small and declining, and for that reason our nation may soon classify it as endangered.
Photo of bald eagle soaring
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Our national symbol, the mature bald eagle is unmistakable with its dark brown body, yellow bill, and white head and tail. It soars with wings held flat and can have a 7-foot wingspan.
photo of a wood duck
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
The wood duck is one of the world's most beautiful waterfowl. It is equally famous for being a cavity nester in hollow trees, sometimes 60 feet above the ground and a mile away from water.
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.
Brown-headed nuthatch perched on the side of a tree trunk
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
Sitta pusilla
Years of planning have brought the brown-headed nuthatch back to the pine-woodlands of southern Missouri. Their calls sound like rubber duckies: squeaka squeaka! These tiny birds with chisel bills creep on pine branches.
Red-breasated nuthatch perched atop an upended log
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
The red-breasted nuthatch is an uncommon winter resident in Missouri’s pine forests. It has rusty underparts and a bold white stripe above the black eye line. Its song is like the white-breasted-nuthatch’s but is higher-pitched: “wak, wak, wak, wak, wak.”
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.
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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