Birding & Wildlife Watching

Helping wildlife

Watching can give back. Counting birds, planting native, and turning off a light can all help Missouri wildlife, and many projects are free.

Count for science — for free

Free citizen-science projects let you add to real research while you watch: eBird, the Great Backyard Bird Count, iNaturalist, and the Christmas Bird Count (free, but coordinate with the local circle's organizer). Whatever you report, use Merlin to suggest an ID — then confirm it yourself before you submit a rare bird, because a wrong record is worse than none.

eBird
Log what you see any day of the year — your lists become data scientists use, and you get hotspots and a life list in return.
Great Backyard Bird Count

A short February count anyone can join from a yard or a park — a friendly first project.
iNaturalist

Not just birds — snap a photo of any plant, insect, or animal and add it to a shared map of Missouri's wild things.
Christmas Bird Count

The longest-running winter count — free to join, but you coordinate with the local circle's organizer first.

One that isn't free

Project FeederWatch is a structured Cornell winter feeder survey that charges a U.S. participation fee — it's not one of the free options, but it's a great one.

Make habitat at home

Make habitat at home: plant native and skip pesticides — milkweed for monarchs, a brush pile or a dead snag for shelter (Grow Native!, from the Missouri Prairie Foundation).

Give wildlife room — and don't feed it

Give wildlife room, and don't feed it — clean backyard bird feeding is the one exception.

Protect the night

Protect the night: bright lights disorient migrating birds and dim the fireflies (see the Dark Skies hub).

Support conservation

Support conservation: the refuges, the restored prairies and wetlands, and MDC's work (funded in part by the state conservation sales tax).

Found an animal in trouble?

Found an animal in trouble? Call MDC or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator — don't take it home (see the Wildlife hub).

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