Watch April 16 webinar on birds and habitats for Missouri Birding Challenge

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) invite both new and experienced birders to join the 2026 Missouri Birding Challenge (MBC) May 1-22! Register April 1-30.

In preparation for the 2026 MBC, MDC and USFWS bird experts are offering webinars on birds, birding, key issues around birds, and bird conservation in Missouri. 

The final webinar will be on Missouri Birds and Habitats with MDC Ornithologist Kristen Heath-Acre on April 16 from 6-7 p.m. New to birding or need a refresher? Join Kristen for a primer on identification of Missouri’s common birds by sight and sound and their associated habitats. Whether new to birding or experienced, there are always tips and tricks to learn in the world of birds. Register at short.mdc.mo.gov/o3A

Missed a webinar? Watch them online at mdc.mo.gov/MObirdingchallenge, including: 

• Birdwatching: Introduction and Benefits with USFWS Ornithologist Sarah Kendrick, and 
• Birding for (and with) Kids with MDC Naturalist Austin Lambert.

More About the 2026 Missouri Birding Challenge

MBC participants will compete alone or on teams in five categories based on age, birding location, or experience. Birders will use eBird (eBird.org) to record their lists of birds identified at public natural areas around the state, or even in their own backyards. 

There is a fee of $15 per person, or $10 per team in the youth Fledgling category. Fees are collected by MBC partner MCHF and contribute to migratory bird conservation efforts and projects. Registration fees were reduced from last year based on participant feedback, and a new Big Day category will challenge registrants to record as many bird species as possible in the 24 hours of World Migratory Bird Day on May 9.

Once participants complete a category and submit their team’s mandatory eBird report, they will be entered into a drawing for fun, bird-related prizes such as binoculars and gift cards. 

Thank you to the Missouri Birding Society (mobirds.org/), Columbia Audubon Society (columbia-audubon.org), the Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City (burroughs.org), and the St. Louis Audubon Society (stlouisaudubon.org) for being sponsors of the 2026 MBC. 

Learn more about the 2026 MBC and register between April 1-30 at mdc.mo.gov/MObirdingchallenge.