Birds in Kansas

Kansas has some tricks up its sleeves most visiting bird watchers are unaware of. This state might be more famous for its tornadoes, but for migrating shorebirds all over the world, the state has two of their best stopover places.

What Is The State Bird Of Kansas?

The official state bird of Kansas, Western Meadowlark was appointed the position in 1937. Quite familiar for people living in the west of the continent, the songbirds have a pointed, black colored bill, yellow cheek and breast area and a black and white striped head and back. There’s a spot of dark black right on the throat as well, covering up the bright yellow for a bit.

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What Are the Top Bird Watching Spots In Kansas?

Over ten thousands of migrant birds stopover at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. To them, it’s one of their most important temporary homes. The Whooping Crane, a critically endangered species, is one among them. Nesting birds of the refuge are the Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, American Avocet, and Snowy Plover.

Scott State Park is about 1020 acre, covering spring lake, rocky bluffs and riparian cottonwoods. The nesting birds here are what you would call a mix between both western and eastern species. Eastern Screech-Owl, Bullock’s Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeak, are among the many birds of the area.

How Many Birds Can You See in Kansas?

Kansas has an attractive species count of 456. For the counties, the bird species numbers are quite close to each other. Sedgwick, Douglas, Morton, Barton and Reno all hold the numbers 347, 341, 333, 332 and 328 respectively.

Cheyenne Bottoms WA is Kansas’ undisputed hotspot for bird watchers, visitors looking forward to seeing at least some of the rarest species among the 307 numbers. Baker Wetlands with its 283 and Neosho WA with its 277 is also quite popular in Kansas.

Top Birds To See In Kansas

Red bellied woodpeckers are medium sized birds. They mostly have a monochromatic plumage with a bit of brick red on top of the head. They aren’t exactly a rare species but they aren’t too common either. They also have a distinct call and they make for a memorable sight.

Pyrrhuloxia is another top bird of Kansas. It’s another medium sized species with a really short but stout bill. The crest and wings are red and they bear a passing resemblance to the northern cardinal, though one look at their face will tell you they are by no means the same species.

Common Birds To See In Kansas

American Goldfinch, Eastern Bluebird, Blue Jays, and even Ruby throated Hummingbirds are quite common in most cities of Kansas. If you were to just walk around Wichita or Kansas city or stay in a hotel for a day there, you will see these birds at least once. American Goldfinches are simply always present there in the morning.

Final Thoughts

Kansas ranks as the sixteenth state with the most birding prospect. That might not seem like a high rank but when you think about how tough the competition is, Kansas certainly deserves some consideration.