Wildlife of Tower Grove Park

We are very lucky to have an abundance of wildlife populating our beautiful park; and it is not just a seasonal occurrence. We have many fascinating animals on a year-round basis! Below is a short list of animals to seek in Tower Grove Park.

1. Birding in Tower Grove Park
2. Birding Hot Spots
3. Other Critters

Birding in Tower Grove Park

Henry Shaw spent considerable time observing birds, and had a significant interest in them.  Shaw's observations of the birds of the Park, attests to the importance of this location for birders, even over 100 years ago.

Tower Grove Park has from its inception been a natural refuge for birds of many different species especially during the spring and fall migrating seasons.  The Park’s life list is now well over 200, and serious birders from all over the metro area, and beyond, visit the Park regularly during those seasons.  The Park is noted in particular for concentrations of migrating warblers and thrushes. 

The Park is never without birds.  These include year-round resident woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, Carolina wrens, mockingbirds, cardinals, robins, and several species of owls.  Winter residents include slate-colored juncos, yellow bellied sapsuckers, and white throated sparrows.  Summer residents include hummingbirds, gold finches, and warblers.  With the coming of spring the tempo quickens, and the trees are alive with song.  For dedicated birders or casual strollers, each day can be exciting as the migrants pass through, pausing for a few days to feed in the treetops or the undergrowth.

For current conditions and sighting opportunities, call the following numbers:

Webster Grove Nature Study Society            314-935-8432
St. Louis Audubon Society                               314-822-6595

Birding Hot Spots in Tower Grove Park

Several hotspots in the Park include the Robert and Martha Gaddy Wild Bird Garden in the northwest corner, with the Kyrle Boldt memorial fountain; the stable area and adjacent wet weather stream; the Lily Ponds and adjacent Fountain Pond; and the Woodland Pool in memory of Jack Van Benthuysen on the north side of Main Drive adjacent to the East Creek and the Cypress Circle in the center of Main Drive.

• Robert and Martha Gaddy Wild Bird Garden near the corner of Kingshighway and Magnolia.  This special area was developed with the support of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society and the Missouri Department of Conservation.  A rich variety of native plants here attracts olive-sided flycatchers, numerous vireos, and many of the warblers.

• Stable area and adjacent wet weather stream.  Especially in wet weather, this site is good for winter wrens, various thrushes, and rose-breasted grosbeaks.

• Lily ponds and Fountain pond.  The ponds often harbor migrating mallards and wood ducks in spring and fall.  In summer, you can frequently find green-backed herons and kingfishers here.  On summer evenings the skies are alive with chimney swifts and nighthawks.

• The East Creek, Woodland Pool, and the Cypress Circle.  These locations between the Humboldt Circle and Cypress Circle are wet areas that can produce such urban rarities as a Louisiana waterthrush.  For several years a pair of Cooper’s hawks has nested in the cypress trees of Cypress Circle.

Other Critters

Other wildlife in Tower Grove Park is more abundant and diverse than most people would probably assume.  Besides the familiar gray squirrels, cottontail rabbits, and moles, there are raccoons, opossums, and an occasional gray or red fox.  Several varieties of bats roost in the Park and help to keep insect populations under control.

Green, southern leopard, and bull frogs live around the ponds, and in spring are joined by singing choruses of American toads.  Five-lined skinks chase small beetles around the ruins, and box turtles patrol sheltered areas in search of earthworms or ripe mulberries.

Minnows and goldfish dart about in the ponds, at least for a few weeks before the ponds are drained in the fall.

Insect life in the Park has not been studied in detail, but includes beautiful butterflies, moths, and dragonflies.
We encourage visitors to enjoy the Park wildlife, and to report any sightings that seem unusual to the Park Office.  We hope to learn more about the fascinating creatures with whom we all share the Park.

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