Lake of the Ozarks Bird Watching
Some residents have suggested that the Great Blue Heron should be adopted as mascot of the Lake of the Ozarks. With it's tall, noble visage, slow and easy grace, and gorgeous blue color these beautiful birds create rookeries (nesting areas) in some of the quieter inlets on the lake. They are a familiar site wading through shallow water or slowly flapping their wings as they head back to their chicks.
Wild turkey are a favorite bird to see. Kids especially enjoy the sounds of these big cluckers. Songbirds can be heard from earliest morning to well after dark. Whipporwills, robins, thrushes, gold finches, meadowlarks, canaries,and doves all have thriving populations in the Ozarks.
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Bird Watching at the Lake of the Ozarks -- Continue
The waterfowl on the Lake of the Ozarks are mostly migratory but there are several varieties that you can find year round. Pectoral sandpipers, cliff swallows, phoebes, belted kingfishers, and a wide variety of ducks, coots, terns, and gulls all make this area their home year round.
Hawks, Turkey Vultures, and eagles make their nests in the tree tops surrounding the lake too. The Bald Eagles come down from the North in late October and can be seen throughout the winter months until early April. The best spot to see them are around the Niangua Arms and Bagnell Dam. A conservation area downstream from the dam provides an awesome spot to see eagles diving for fish.
Other migratory birds include Canada Geese, pelicans, and trumpeter swans. Although there haven't been many sightings, the Golden Eagle also has been known to visit the Lake of the Ozarks. It's a hot spot for the birds too!
Double crested cormorants, ruby throated hummingbirds, bobwhites, cardinals, blue jays, meadowlarks, pileated woodpeckers, and rough winged swallows can all be found in the wilderness areas surrounding the lakes. Professional birding guides are available to help you find and photographs some of America's most iconic birds.
The best spots for viewing are definitely in the state parks along the water's edge though some species wont' be visible unless you take a trip to the surrounding bluffs and cliffs. One great way to see a lot of birds is to spend the day driving along the scenic shoreline and stopping at the many beautiful observation areas. This provides you with more than a few habitat and observation opportunities for the many feathered friends of the region.