JEFFERSON CITY — With Independence Day coming up in July and other semiquincentennial (250th anniversary of the U.S.) celebrations, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourage people to look for red, white, and blue in nature through a holiday hike, bird watching, backyard fun, fishing, and other outdoor activities.
MDC offers some suggestions to get started finding red, white, and blue in nature:
- Red Royal Catchfly Flowers
- Male Summer Tanagers
- White Beard-Tongues or Foxgloves
- White Great Egrets
- Blue False Indigos
- Male Indigo Buntings
Want more information on these and other Missouri plants and animals, including where to find them? Use the handy and helpful MDC online Field Guide at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide.
Need suggestions for outdoor adventures? Find Things to Do with MDC online at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/activities. Offerings include cycling on trails, backyard nature fun, birdwatching, fishing, camping, floating, outdoor cooking, hiking, hunting, nature photography, wildlife watching, and more.
Need to find Places to Go for outdoor adventures? Visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places.
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| Adult male summer tanagers are entirely red and easily seen as they forage for insects among bright green tree leaves in early summer. |
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| Great egrets are large, white herons with yellow bills and black legs and feet. They sometimes spread their wings to create shade for small fish, which they then catch and eat. |
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| The deep blue male indigo bunting can be seen flying up from gravel roads. |
