Common Birds in Missouri
Purple finches are common year-round throughout Missouri. Unlike European Starlings, they don’t cause as much destruction to native birds. They are attracted to sunflower seeds and thistle (nyjer) in tube and platform feeders.
Males are a vivid raspberry red, while females look duller in winter. This bird breeds across Canada and the northern US, but migrates south in the winter.
Chickadees
With their endearing round heads on tiny bodies, chickadees are busy little birds that flit around looking for insects and eagerly visit backyard feeders. They also investigate everything and everyone, including you!
Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees can be spotted year-round in Missouri but are more common in the summer and winter. They are recorded in 18% of summer and 23% of winter checklists submitted by bird watchers in the state.
They build nests up to 15 feet above the ground in buildings, trees, and bushes. Like titmice, they share a diet of seeds, berries, and what they can beg from humans at their feeders.
Evening Grosbeaks
Flocks of evening grosbeaks can empty a bird feeder of sunflower seeds very quickly. They feed primarily on seeds, but also insects and berries. They breed in coniferous forests, and winter in a wide range of woodlands.
The nest is an open cup of twigs in a conifer, usually a spruce or a fir, though they have been known to nest in seven other species of conifers. The female lays 3-4 eggs.
A slight spring molt has been observed on some evening grosbeaks. M. J. Magee reported that on the 50 grosbeaks he banded from April 13 to May 17, 31 showed signs of molting, mainly on the head.
Blue Jays
The piercing calls of blue jays are familiar to many. This bird may be seen in city parks, country back yards and at feeders year round. It is a skilled hunter and scavenger.
It can grab multiple foods at once, squeezing them into throat pouches for later consumption. It can also crack open sunflower seeds with its feet and even cache food items in hiding places.
A familiar backyard bird, this bird is a year-round resident of Missouri. It is larger than chickadees and goldfinches, but smaller than White-crowned Sparrows or Spotted/Eastern Towhees. It eats seeds, fruits and insects.
Pine Siskin
During summer and winter, Pine Siskins nest in conifer woods, where they can be found in flocks. Their nests are constructed from twigs, bark, rootlets, grass, and soft feathers padded with animal fur and hair. They lay around five eggs that hatch in about two weeks.
Irruptive birds, Pine Siskins move south each winter in varying numbers depending on cone crops up north. They are often found at feeders, where they join goldfinches in gregarious winter flocks.
To entice them to your birdfeeder, offer millet, nyjer seeds, and black oil sunflower seeds. Be cautious about feeding wild birds, as they may be carriers of Salmonella, a bacterial illness that can be fatal to humans and pets.
Purple Finch
With their stout conical bills, these chunky finches are easily recognized by their magenta- or raspberry-red heads and pinkish “brushstrokes” down the sides. They also have notched tails and a bold head pattern that distinguishes them from the similar but more slim House Finch.
They often appear in backyards and at feeders, especially if you offer black-oil sunflower seeds. Look for them in old fields and coniferous forests. Their massive beaks are designed to crack open pine cone scales to access the seeds inside. Birds banded in the Midwest have turned up as far away as Siberia!
Lesser Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinches are smaller than American Goldfinches and have a more muted yellow color. They are most common in winter, when they frequent backyard feeders and visit rural and suburban areas to find seeds.
They eat seeds of sunflower and thistle plants and also feed on napa thistle, aster plants, and other composites. They are often found in weedy fields, shrubby oak, cottonwood, and willow habitats of the western US and Canada.
They are gregarious birds that form large flocks at bird feeders and watering holes. They nest in small, compact cups made from leaves, bark, catkins, berries, and other materials.
Hoary Redpoll
A rare sighting in Missouri, this irruptive species typically shows up at feeders when it’s in the region. Males display red coloring on their heads and chests—though the shade and intensity varies by individual.
Females are more subdued and may lack any visible red coloring at all. They nest in twigs, leaves, barks, and rootlets in trees or dense shrubs. Females lay around five eggs that hatch in ten days.
Purple Finches begin arriving in Missouri in September and linger until June, with the best chance to see them from October through mid-May. They’re recorded in 9% of winter checklists across the state.
