CAPE GIRARDEAU, 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! Registration will be open April 1-30. In southeast Missouri, birdwatching is an easy hobby to enjoy.

Southeast Missouri has many great birding locations that are listed on the Missouri Birding Trail, and MDC encourages participants of the 2026 Missouri Birding Challenge to utilize these conservation areas (CA) to help them in the competition. Prime birding locations include:

• Cape Girardeau Nature Center in Cape Girardeau County: Featuring several miles of trails, this area offers ample opportunity for visitors to explore the outdoors. The nature center building itself offers a variety of hands-on exhibits and nature-themed activities indoors.
• Cape Woods CA in Cape Girardeau County: This small, bottomland forest tract hosts the Cape La Croix Hiking/Biking Trail that draws joggers, hikers, and bicyclists in an urban area. This area is a popular location for wildlife and people alike.
• Duck Creek CA in Stoddard, Bollinger, and Wayne Counties: This 6,318-acre area offers a wide variety of habitat types that support a diversity of plant and animal species. It is specifically managed to provide a diversity of food and shelter for migratory and resident wildlife.
• Otter Slough CA in Butler and Stoddard Counties: As one of the few remaining examples of a cypress/tupelo swamp left in Missouri, many avian species are drawn to the property. Over 280 different bird species have been recorded on the 4,866-acre property, and visitors to the area report a variety of birds during all times of year.
• Sand Prairie CA in Scott County: This unique habitat serves as a great home to species such as the Northern Bobwhite. At 200-acres, this property is easy to explore, and visitors can experience one of the last remaining sand prairie habitat patches in Missouri.

Find more locations along the Missouri Birding Trail, including non-MDC locations, at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/oin.

Learn more about the 2026 Missouri Birding Challenge at mdc.mo.gov/MObirdingchallenge.