Seasonal List of the Standard Birds of Missouri
The following charts list those bird species that tend to occur in Missouri every year. The sequence and the groupings of the names are based on the species' genetic relationships to each other. The same arrangement will be found in field guides and other bird lists.
Group: The group name shown vertically on the left is generally the common name of the order or family to which the species is classified. Order names are used from the beginning of the chart through woodpeckers. The remainder of the chart, beginning with flycatchers, is the order commonly referred to as "songbirds." The species within this order are grouped in families.
Species Name: The names used are the official common names as designated by the American Ornithologists' Union. These are occasionally changed as more is learned about a species' genetics.
Seasonal Status: Following each species' name are codes that indicate when the species occurs in Missouri, seasonally. Codes that extends through the summer months (the nesting season) indicates that the species is a regular breeder in Missouri.
Abundance Status: The height of the bar indicates the species' relative abundance during a particular time of the year. There are four different heights that correspond, generally, to the frequency with which the species might be detected in the habitat where it is most likely to be found. Bar height from thickest to thinnest indicates:
- Abundant (A); several likely to be detected on every visit.
- Common (C); at least a few detected on most visits.
- Uncommon (U); detected on fewer than half of the visits.
- Rare (R); detected on fewer than one out of ten visits.
Regional Distribution:
| Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Region | Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||
| Common Loon | R | R | R | U | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Pied-billed Grebe | R | R | U | C | U | R | R | R | U | C | U | R | Uniform | Wetlands |
| Horned Grebe | R | U | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Eared Grebe | R | R | R | R | West | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Western Grebe | R | R | R | R | West | Wetlands | ||||||||
| American White Pelican | R | U | R | R | U | R | West | Wetlands | ||||||
| Double-crested Cormorant | U | C | U | U | C | U | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Region | Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||
| American Bittern | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Least Bittern | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Great Blue Heron | R | R | U | C | C | C | C | C | C | U | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands |
| Great Egret | R | R | R | R | U | U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Snowy Egret | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Little Blue Heron | R | R | U | U | U | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Cattle Egret | U | U | R | R | U | R | Uniform | Grasslands | ||||||
| Green Heron | R | U | C | C | C | U | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Black Vulture | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | South | Forest |
| Turkey Vulture | R | R | U | C | C | C | C | C | C | U | R | R | Uniform | Grasslands |
| Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Region | Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||
| Tundra Swan | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Trumpeter Swan | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Greater White-fronted Goose | R | U | R | U | U | R | West | Wetlands | ||||||
| Snow Goose | U | U | C | R | R | U | C | West | Wetlands | |||||
| Ross' Goose | R | R | West | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| Canada Goose | A | A | A | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | A | A | Uniform | Wetlands |
| Wood Duck | U | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | U | Uniform | Wetlands | |||
| Green-winged Teal | R | C | U | R | U | C | C | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||
| American Black Duck | R | R | U | R | R | U | R | East | Wetlands | |||||
| Mallard | C | A | A | U | R | R | R | R | U | C | A | C | Uniform | Wetlands |
| Northern Pintail | R | U | C | U | R | C | C | U | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||
| Blue-winged Teal | R | C | R | R | R | R | C | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||
| Cinnamon Teal | R | West | Wetlands | |||||||||||
| Northern Shoveler | U | C | R | R | C | C | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Gadwall | R | R | C | R | R | U | C | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||
| American Wigeon | R | R | C | U | U | C | C | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||
| Canvasback | R | R | U | R | R | R | R | U | U | East | Wetlands | |||
| Redhead | R | U | R | R | U | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Ring-necked Duck | U | U | C | R | R | U | C | U | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||
| Greater Scaup | R | R | R | R | R | East | Wetlands | |||||||
| Lesser Scaup | U | U | C | U | R | U | C | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Oldsquaw | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Black Scoter | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| Surf Scoter | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| White-winged Scoter | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| Common Goldeneye | C | C | U | R | C | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Bufflehead | R | U | C | R | R | C | U | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Hooded Merganser | R | U | U | R | R | R | R | R | U | U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |
| Common Merganser | U | U | R | R | R | U | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Red-breasted Merganser | R | U | U | R | U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Ruddy Duck | R | R | C | U | R | C | U | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Region | Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||
| Osprey | R | U | R | R | U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Mississippi Kite | R | R | R | R | R | R | Southeast | Forest | ||||||
| Bald Eagle | U | U | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | U | Uniform | Wetlands |
| Northern Harrier | R | R | U | U | R | R | R | R | R | U | U | R | Uniform | Grasslands |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | U | U | C | C | U | R | R | R | U | C | U | U | Uniform | Forest |
| Cooper's Hawk | U | U | C | C | R | R | R | R | U | C | U | U | Uniform | Forest |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | R | R | U | U | R | R | R | R | U | U | R | R | South | Forest |
| Broad-winged Hawk | U | R | R | R | R | U | R | South | Forest | |||||
| Swainson's Hawk | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Southwest | Grasslands | |||||
| Red-tailed Hawk | A | A | A | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | A | A | Uniform | Grasslands |
| Golden Eagle | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Grasslands | |||||||
| Rough-legged Hawk | U | U | R | R | R | U | Uniform | Grasslands | ||||||
| American Kestrel | C | C | C | U | U | U | U | U | C | C | C | C | Uniform | Grasslands |
| Merlin | R | R | R | Uniform | Grasslands | |||||||||
| Peregrine Falcon | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Grasslands | ||||||||
| Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Region | Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||
| Ring-necked Pheasant | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | North | Grasslands |
| Ruffed Grouse | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Forest |
| Greater Prairie- Chicken | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Southwest | Grasslands |
| Wild Turkey | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | Uniform | Forest |
| Northern Bobwhite | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | Uniform | Shrubs, Brush |
| Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Region | Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||
| Yellow Rail | R | R | Uniform | Grasslands | ||||||||||
| King Rail | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Virginia Rail | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Sora | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| Common Moorhen | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||
| American Coot | U | C | R | R | R | R | R | U | C | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||
| Sandhill Crane | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Region | Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||
| Black-bellied Plover | R/U | R/U | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
| American Golden-Plover | R | U | U/R | R | U | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Semipalmated Plover | R/U | U/R | R/U | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Piping Plover | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| Killdeer | R | R | U/C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C/U | U/R | R | Uniform | Grasslands |
| Black-necked Stilt | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Southeast | Wetlands | |||||
| American Avocet | R | R | R | West | Wetlands | |||||||||
| Greater Yellowlegs | R | R/U | U | R/U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Lesser Yellowlegs | R | U/C | C/U | R/U | U/C | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Solitary Sandpiper | R | U/R | R/U | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
| Willet | U | U | R | R | West | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Spotted Sandpiper | R/U | U/R | R | R | R/U | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Upland Sandpiper | R | R | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Grasslands | ||||||
| Hudsonian Godwit | R | West | Wetlands | |||||||||||
| Marbled Godwit | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| Ruddy Turnstone | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| Red Knot | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
| Sanderling | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | R | U | R | R/U | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Western Sandpiper | R | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Least Sandpiper | R | U/R | R/U | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||
| White-rumped Sandpiper | R/U | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
| Baird's Sandpiper | R/U | U/R | R | U/R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||
| Pectoral Sandpiper | R | R/U/C | C/U/R | R/U | C/U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Dunlin | R/U | R | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
| Stilt Sandpiper | R | U/R | R/U | U/R | West | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper | R | U/R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||||
| Short-billed Dowitcher | R/U | R/U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
| Long-billed Dowitcher | R | R/U | U/R | R/U | U/R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| Common Snipe | R/U/C | C/U/R | R | R/U | C/U | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||
| American Woodcock | R | R/U | U/R | R | R | R | R | R/U | U | U/R | Uniform | Shrubs / Brush | ||
| Wilson's Phalarope | R/U | U/R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | ||||||||
| Red-necked Phalarope | R | R | R | Uniform | Wetlands | |||||||||
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