Field Guide

Birds

Showing 31 - 40 of 66 results
Photo of a green heron
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Green, gray, and brown, the stocky, crow-sized green heron hunches motionless at the water’s edge, waiting patiently for a fish to swim within striking distance.
Photo of a cattle egret
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Cattle egrets are small, stocky white herons. Adults have yellow bills and legs. At breeding time, the legs and bills turn red, and the feathers of head, breast, and back are orangish tan.
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 American woodcock
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
This remarkable bird is a short-necked, short-legged, terrestrial shorebird with a long bill. The eyes are set back on its head. When this bird is flushed, its short wings make a startling whirring sound.
Photo of a sharp-shinned hawk standing on the ground
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Sharp-shinned hawks flash out from trees and shrubs, surprising small birds and chasing them through the branches with great speed and accuracy.
large gray and white bird perching on a black branch
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Cooper's hawks have short, rounded wings and long, narrow, rudderlike tails. They are frequently seen foraging along hedgerows and brush-entangled fencerows.
Photo of a male great-tailed grackle walking on a lawn
Great-Tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
The great-tailed grackle occurs mostly in western parts of Missouri, which is on the northeastern edge of its range. This blackbird’s long, V-shaped tail is distinctive, as is its song of whistles, clacks, chucks, and clicks.
Photo of a Wilson's snipe, a pudgy, long-billed bird, wading in a marsh.
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Wilson’s snipe, formerly called the common snipe, is a migratory game bird in Missouri. Like its relative the woodcock, this member of the sandpiper family is not usually seen on mudflats. It prefers swamps and wet, grassy areas.
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.