With its mix of rivers, wetlands, forests and prairies, Missouri plays travel host to a dazzling number and variety of migrating birds. Peak spring migration in Missouri is happening right now, and you can join in on the spectacle by getting outside, looking and listening for birds.
To help you appreciate the number of birds migrating, consider that in just one night, April 27, nearly 52 million birds crossed the state of Missouri, according to
BirdCast an interactive online tool created by The Cornell Ornithology Lab. BirdCast uses weather radar to detect and study migrating birds. At BirdCast you can track migration activity in your area, sign up for alerts and see forecasts for the next few days. One of the startling things you’ll notice is that most birds migrate at night.
If you want to see (or hear) birds in central Missouri, Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area is teeming with them, especially those dependent on wetlands. Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area and Gans Creek Wild Area in Rock Bridge Memorial Park are great places to see forest species. Within Columbia’s city limits you can find a surprising variety of birds in the Grindstone Nature Area. But you don’t even need to go anywhere. Many migrants can be seen outside your door.
There are a number of tools to help you enjoy this annual spectacle. If you’re new to birding (or even if you’re not) the Merlin Bird ID app can help you identify birds by sight or sound. It’s an eye-opening experience to turn on the ‘sound ID’ and see how many kinds of birds are singing in a location.
“The Atlas of Bird Migration,” by Jonathan Elphick, has maps and text to illustrate the variety of migration strategies used by different species. Many of our local ruby-throated hummingbirds make a marathon flight over the Gulf of Mexico followed by low-altitude, day-time flights that allow them to eat as they fly. In contrast, snow geese travel mostly at night in the familiar v-shaped flocks at altitudes of 2,000 to 8,000 feet and have been recorded as high as 29,000 feet!
The Audubon Society has compiled years of banding studies and live tracking data to build the Bird Migration Explorer. At this site, you can explore dynamic maps of migration routes for over 200 species.
All of these migrants need safe places to rest and refuel on their way north. We can take some simple steps to help birds have a safe trip north:
- Turn off exterior lights at night. Birds use stars to navigate. Lights and reflections confuse them causing disorientation and leading to deadly collisions with buildings and windows.
- Prevent bird strikes by putting bird-safe films or decals on the outside of windows and turning off bright indoor lights after 11:00 pm.
- Only use bird feeders or bird baths if you can clean them regularly to prevent the spread of diseases.
- Make your property an oasis for birds by planting (or keeping) native plants to naturally provide food and shelter for wildlife. Refrain from using insecticides so there will be plenty of insects for birds to eat. Don’t be afraid to let your yard be untidy; fallen leaves and last year’s flower stems provide shelter for insects over the winter.
- Keep unattended pets inside. Unfortunately, domestic cats kill a lot of birds.
- Whenever you can, speak up for birds and protect habitat.
For more on birds and migration take a look at this list of books and other resources.
