Wildlife of Missouri

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Missouri River near Rocheport, Missouri

Missouri is home to a diversity of both flora and fauna. There is a large amount of fresh water present due to the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Lake of the Ozarks, with numerous smaller tributary rivers, streams, and lakes. North of the Missouri River, the state is primarily rolling hills of the Great Plains, whereas south of the Missouri River, the state is dominated by the Oak-Hickory Central U.S. hardwood forest.

Some of the native species found in Missouri are included below.[1][2]

Mammals[]

Main article: List of mammals of Missouri

Within historic times, pronghorn, gray wolf, and brown bear were all found in Missouri, but have since been eliminated. American bison and Elk were formerly common, but are currently confined to private farms and parks. Wapiti can be found in a small restoration zone in three counties in the Southeast Ozarks.

Birds[]

Main article: List of birds of Missouri

Year-round:[3]

  • Pied-billed grebe
  • Great blue heron
  • Canada goose
  • Mallard
  • Wood duck
  • Killdeer
  • Common snipe
  • American woodcock
  • Turkey vulture
  • Red-tailed hawk
  • Cooper's hawk
  • Red-shouldered hawk
  • American kestrel
  • Northern harrier
  • Northern bobwhite
  • Wild turkey
  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Rock dove
  • Mourning dove
  • Belted kingfisher
  • Barn owl
  • Barred owl
  • Great horned owl
  • Short-eared owl
  • Long-eared owl
  • Eastern screech owl
  • Northern saw-whet owl
  • Horned lark
  • Common crow
  • Blue jay
  • Red-bellied woodpecker
  • Red-headed woodpecker
  • Pileated woodpecker
  • Downy woodpecker
  • Hairy woodpecker
  • Northern flicker
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Carolina chickadee
  • White-breasted nuthatch
  • Tufted titmouse
  • Northern mockingbird
  • Loggerhead shrike
  • American robin
  • Eastern bluebird
  • Pine warbler
  • Eastern meadowlark
  • Red-winged blackbird
  • European starling
  • Common grackle
  • Northern cardinal
  • American goldfinch
  • Eastern towhee
  • Song sparrow
  • Field sparrow
  • House sparrow
  • Carolina wren
  • Bewick's wren
  • Wood thrush
  • Brown thrasher

Summer/breeders:

Winter residents:

Within historic times, the passenger pigeon, the carolina parakeet, and the ivory-billed woodpecker were all found in Missouri, but they have since been eliminated.[4]

Reptiles[]

Reptiles of Missouri include:[5]

Amphibians[]

Amphibians of Missouri include:[6]

Fish[]

Main article: List of fishes of Missouri

Mollusks[]

  • Asiatic clam

Insect migrations[]

There has also been a migration of insects from the south to Missouri. One example of this is the wasp Polistes exclamans.[7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Guide to North American Wildlife, Reader's Digest, 1982
  2. ^ Field Guide to the Birds of North America, second edition, National Geographic Society, 1996
  3. ^ National Geographic Society - Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Second Edition
  4. ^ "Animals of Conservation Concern" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  5. ^ Johnson, Tom R. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri: Missouri Department of Conservation, 1992
  6. ^ Briggler, Jeffrey T. and Tom R. Johnson, Missouri's Toads and Frogs, MO Department of Conservation, copyright 1982, 2008, Missouri Conservation Commission
  7. ^ West, Mary Jane (1968). "Range Extension and Solitary nest founding in Polistes Exclamans". Psyche. 75 (2): 118–23. doi:10.1155/1968/49846.
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