The Appeal of Missouri's Birds
Birds lift our spirits with their powers of flight, brilliant feathers, captivating songs and appealing antics. Throughout Missouri, many kinds of birds grace our home gardens, farms, prairies, forests and wetlands.
Missouri's birds come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They vary in wingspan from about 3 inches for the ruby-throated hummingbird to 9 feet for the American white pelican, and in weight from 1/8 ounce for the hummingbird to about 30 pounds for the trumpeter swan. Even their odd names--such as coot, snipe and prothonotary warbler--have special appeal.
Of estimated 9,000 species of birds in the world, approximately 900 occur in North America, and more than 400 have been recorded in Missouri. In addition to the 150-plus species that regularly nest in Missouri, other species migrate between nesting grounds to the north and wintering grounds to the south, and others wander in from the east and west.
The great variety of Missouri's birds makes seeing and learning about them a delightful, endless challenge. But where and how do we observe them? By exploring our state's varied habitats and carrying at least two tools: a good pair of binoculars and an identification field guide. As you will discover, birdwatching, or birding, is a great way to enjoy outdoor Missouri.
