Birding spots · Missouri
Best Birding Spots in Clay County, Missouri
Cooley Lake Conservation Area leads Clay County's birding spots with 199 species reported, best in spring. 19 spots in the county have enough data to rank.
Species counts are birds reported at least three times in that season at that spot, 2016–2025. Busy spots list more species simply because more people look, so compare the checklist counts. Spot names come from public map data and hotspot listings.
| Spot | Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooley Lake Conservation Area | 199 | 63 | 168 | 107 | 128 |
| Smithville Lake (Camp Branch) | 192 | 91 | 144 | 67 | 127 |
| Smithville Lake | 164 | 77 | 114 | 65 | 104 |
| Smithville Recreation Area | 157 | 81 | 99 | 74 | 93 |
| Lake Remote | 145 | 74 | 90 | 53 | 108 |
| Watkins Mill Lake | 142 | 42 | 123 | 60 | 71 |
| Smithville Recreation Area (Crows Creek) | 122 | 58 | 73 | 50 | 88 |
| Smithville Lake (east) | 121 | 56 | 84 | 47 | 59 |
| Smithville Lake (southeast) | 112 | 76 | 18 | 9 | 76 |
| Smithville Recreation Area (northeast) | 109 | 63 | 54 | 22 | 54 |
| Shady Hollow Lakes (historical) | 103 | 55 | 75 | 35 | 40 |
| Happy Rock Park | 100 | 29 | 97 | 25 | 14 |
| Lake Remote (Smithville Lake) | 100 | 23 | 74 | 28 | 35 |
| Smithville Recreation Area (northeast) | 97 | 34 | 63 | 42 | 31 |
| Shady Hollow Lakes (historical) (Lingenfelter Branch) | 87 | 27 | 59 | 38 | 33 |
| Hodge Park | 73 | 31 | 49 | 41 | 50 |
| Maple Woods Natural Area | 53 | 19 | 39 | 21 | 21 |
| Birding spot near Liberty | 124 | 43 | 112 | 47 | 60 |
| Birding spot near Prathersville | 92 | 42 | 64 | 3 | 21 |