Dunbar Lane

4:00 p.m.

Contact: Joanna & Eric Reuter, birds@ozarkoutsider.com

Whether or not  you spend part of Black Friday in a shopping frenzy, there’s an evening opportunity to celebrate the day as Blackbird Friday by visiting a Boone County roost that has hosted millions of blackbirds on a nightly basis at this time of year in recent years. 

The evening arrival of huge flocks of blackbirds creates a spectacle that can wow non-birders as well as the most well-traveled birders. But just how a given night will play out is always a bit of a surprise, as factors that affect roosting concentrations and locations aren’t well understood. The best way to find out is to visit. Everyone is welcome to attend, including visiting family members. Leaders Eric and Joanna Reuter will be on-site to describe the background history of the roost, then we’ll watch as the show unfolds; each time is unique.

One disclaimer: Human cases of histoplasmosis (a fungal infection) have been associated with other blackbird roosts with a multi-year presence. We have no way to assess the actual risk here. Use your own judgment about whether this is a good trip for you.

Where: Meet at the site (click here for map; note that Google shows the name of the road as “Dun Bar” even though it is actually “Dunbar”). The viewing area is at the end of a dead-end gravel road with plenty of parking along the side of the road. No bathrooms are available.

When: Sunset on November 28 is ~4:48 p.m. We’ll gather at 4:00 p.m and expect to stay through ~5:45 p.m. Dress warm, as the temperature tends to drop precipitously with the setting sun. In the event of weather that creates hazardous road conditions, any necessary postponement updates will be on the listing on the CAS website.

Additional background on the roost:

• A short video about the roost: https://youtu.be/SO9AHgtRkSo
• “Birds in Big Numbers” (2023 talk for the Missouri River Bird Observatory): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omK7d7U4G2g
• An article about the roost:  September 2020 Bluebird, (p. 169-182).
• The original article for The Chat that led to the “discovery” of the roost: https://www.columbia-audubon.org/birds-in-big-numbers-flocks-of-blackbirds-and-starlings/

---

Feel free to review the CAS field trip guidelines for participants and leaders!