If you’re looking for the best places to watch birds in Missouri, check out the new Great Missouri Birding Trail website hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).
Beginner and seasoned birders will find the “best of the best” places around Missouri, including maps of the birding sites, information on bird conservation, birding tips, beginner basics, landscaping for birds, and how to get involved with local bird organizations.
The best birding locations include mostly public land, such as conservation areas and state parks, and cover various types of bird habitats, such grasslands, woodlands, forests, glades and savannas. Each type of natural community hosts a different suite of bird species to identify.
The Great Missouri Birding Trail project was started by Mike Doyen of Rolla, president of the Missouri Bird Conservation Foundation. The trail is now a partnership between the foundation and MDC, with support from other state and federal agencies and birding organizations.
“Nothing is more critical to birds than habitat,” Doyen said. “If the habitat is right, the birds will be there. Visit some of the more than 200 sites along the trail and become familiar with the diversity of habitat that birds call home. Then ask yourself, what can I do in my backyard to improve habitat for birds?”
The Kansas City and St. Louis sections of the Great Missouri Birding Trail website are complete. Work continues on four remaining sections, including: northeast, central, southwest and southeast.
Photo: American goldfinch, Missouri Department of Conservation
