Bird of the Week

Baird’s Sandpiper, Calidris bairdii Bill Rowe Above, you see another of the Olympic-level migrants among our shorebirds—not as famous as, say, the American Golden-Plover, but every bit as astonishing in the scope of its annual journey from the Arctic tundra to…

Red Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius Bill Rowe It’s time to introduce the phalaropes, a colorful group of three small shorebirds. One species, Wilson’s Phalarope, is strictly North American and also the commonest on migration here in the Midwest. The other two, the…

Palm Warbler, Setophaga palmarum Bill Rowe As we’ve noted before, Missouri has a rich diversity of warblers: 36 regular species, of which 17 are breeding birds, leaving 19 more that we see only in migration, en route to and from…

Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus Bill Rowe In late winter and early spring, our local resident songbirds, such as Song Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds, begin practicing their songs, following their instinct to claim a territory and find a mate. One of these…

Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris Bill Rowe Ducks, ducks, ducks… We are still in the middle of duck migration at this point, as it begins very early, in February, with many species reaching their peak during March. These include the diving ducks…

Northern Shoveler, Spatula clypeata Bill Rowe The unusual-looking Northern Shoveler is a common sight throughout its very wide breeding range, which encompasses northern and western North America plus much of northern and central Eurasia, and also on its wintering range from…

Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta Bill Rowe Meadowlarks are instant favorites among new birders, with their vivid yellow-and-black underparts and whistled songs, making them easy to spot out in a prairie or a hayfield—that is, as long as they…

Swamp Sparrow, Melospiza georgiana Bill Rowe The New World sparrows, family Passerellidae, are a diverse and important part of our bird life, with 19 species regular in Missouri—some in summer, some in winter, some mainly migrants, and some year-round. The Swamp…

Merlin, Falco columbarius Bill Rowe Worldwide, falcons are recognizable by their long, pointed wings, their dashing flight, and their laser focus on pursuing their prey. These qualities have inspired the sport of falconry for millennia, and now they elicit the same…