06/05/2026
In early May Missouri Conservation Corps organized our fourth annual bird hike in Kiwanis Park with the Columbia Audubon Society of Missouri. Each hike has been led by CAS member John Besser, so this article on the hike will be co-authored by John and myself. I will start the writing, and John’s contributions will be first person and in quotations.
On a bright, chilly morning in May, a group of birders met in the east parking lot of Columbia’s Kiwanis Park. Attired in hiking boots, pants and jackets, each participant brought a pair of binoculars and an enthusiasm for birding. The birders were assembled for the fourth annual Kiwanis Park Bird Hike, an event that brings birders of all skill levels to the east side of Kiwanis Park to hike, look, and listen for birds in this 20-acre forested park in central Columbia. Initiated in 2023, this hike is a collaboration between the Columbia Audubon Society of Missouri and Missouri Conservation Corps. After giving a brief introduction to the goals of the hike, and after several birds were discovered from the parking lot, Columbia Audubon Society member John Besser led the group down the hiking trail that meanders north from the Thurston Shelter House.
“We started birding at the East-side shelter as the rising sun began to shine on the treetops. We found few birds at first, then we noticed the Cooper’s Hawk perched nearby. We left this hawk to find his breakfast and started walking on the central trail. This area hadn’t received much morning sun and was also slow birding at first.”
During the hike, the group stopped in several locations along the trail. Using their ears, their eyes, and their binoculars, they were slowly putting together a list of verified bird sightings, each new bird discovered bringing a flurry of excitement and quiet but animated conversation. During the early portion of the hike the group walked through a hilly, heavily forested environment where the rising sun had not yet brightened the understory. At the top of the hill behind Russell Elementary School, the entire group stopped and gathered as they scanned the tops of the large hickories, oaks and hackberries that form the southern boundary of the schoolyard. As birds called and winged from tree to tree, our group made several exciting discoveries to add to the growing list of birds sighted. As the sun rose and brightened, the beauty of the mature hardwood trees in Kiwanis Park nearly rivalled the beauty of the birds being sought.
“Then we took the side trail to the forest edge at the Russell School outdoor classroom, an open area with scattered trees and shrubs. This area lived up to its reputation as a songbird hotspot. Here we found a variety of migrants, highlighted by striking species such as Blue-headed Vireo, Golden-winged Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, and Black-and-white Warbler.
Back on the central trail, we eventually found some birds that specialize in the open understory habitats opened by the honeysuckle removal project: Swainson’s Thrush, Kentucky Warbler, and Acadian Flycatcher. This area also produced two other flycatchers that prefer habitats higher off the ground: Eastern Wood-pewee (mid-story) and Great-crested Flycatcher (canopy).”
At the Odor Shelter on the west side of the park, the group stopped once again to scan the trees surrounding the parking lot. At this point the sun was up, and the trees were brightly illuminated, making it easier to spot and identify the park’s birds. As the group started hiking on the loop back around the south side of the park to return to the east shelter, the number of birds on our list was slowly growing, as was the excitement of our group of birders. “ The last leg of our walk took us through sunny, open woodlands in the southeast corner of the park, which produced the gorgeous Summer Tanager and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. This trail led us back to the parking lot, where we added Tennessee and Chestnut-sided Warblers. Our total bird list reached 41 species, including 13 species of warblers!”
A link to the eBird checklist for this outing is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S334192927
