La Grange, MO Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Section 210.240, carried forward from Ordinance No. 28, Section 23, adopted June 15, 1906, protects birds throughout the City of La Grange. It is unlawful to kill, wound, or attempt to kill or wound any bird by firearm, bow and arrow, thrown stones or other missiles, or by any other means, anywhere within the City limits. The Section separately bans throwing stones, clubs or other missiles at a bird while it is on private grounds or in any public square, park or other public grounds, and bans entering a private enclosure or public grounds belonging to the City for the purpose of doing any of these prohibited acts.

A related, older provision specific to the City cemetery, Section 145.460, likewise makes it unlawful to catch, kill or destroy any bird, bird nest or bird eggs, or to shoot any weapon, inside the cemetery grounds. Under Section 210.240, each offense is punished by its own fine, not the Code's general penalty schedule: a forfeiture of not less than $2.00 and not more than $10.00 per offense, and the offense is treated as an ordinance violation. Because the Section predates modern firearms-discharge and hunting regulation, it operates alongside, not instead of, State and federal migratory-bird protections, but within City limits it stands as a distinct local bar on harming birds regardless of species.