....Hawk Ridge - (located in east Duluth) A Guide to One of

Minnesota's Premier Birding Locations

maps of all 43 sites. Welcome to Northwestern Minnesota where a unique collection of habitats provide homes for a tremendous variety of birds. Pine forests, deciduous woodlands, native tallgrass prairie, aspen parkland, sand dunes (remnants of Glacial Lake Agassiz), calcareous fens, bogs, marshes, large and small lakes and rivers make up the transition zone that offers over 275 species of birds. 

brief guide to some of Minnesota's best birding areas. Includes a reference to Sax-Zim Bog, considered to be the best location in Minnesota by some.

information on 22 birding sites in the area of Rochester, Minnesota. See also Bob's Birding Minnesota website.

Few cities can claim the rich habitats or abundance of bird life seen in Minneapolis and St. Paul

ecosystems-the tallgrass prairie, the boreal forest and the aspen parklands. In this area there is an abundance of public land with significant amounts of wildlife, especially birds. Over 250 species of birds have been recorded in this area

directions to some of the more popular spots to go birding in the Minneapolis area and spots to go in Minnesota to find specialty birds like Boreal Owl, Yellow Rail, etc.

Lake, the Audubon Center is a 535 acre sanctuary that includes a lodge that was built at the turn of the century which is set in the midst of an old growth red and white pine forest. The center features a wildlife rehabilitation facility that is home to a group of education raptors (hawks and owls) plus snakes and frogs. A boardwalk and observation blind allows us to study our wetlands and observe the birdlife. 

to all sixty-four of Minnesota's state parks. Addresses as well as general descriptions of each State Park as provided by the DNR. Additional comments on birds and birding in these parks have been added.

Deck is the only facility of its kind that is staffed consistently through the eagles' wintering months in the United States. In these prime eagle viewing months, from November through March, over 5,000 people from around the world visit the Observation Deck in Wabasha, MN.

of pristine lakes and woodlands, 250 species of birds and great places to watch wildlife.

locations of all Minnesota National Wildlife Refuges.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

few urban wildlife refuges in the nation, a place where wild coyotes, bald eagles, badgers, and beavers live next door to 2.2 million people. Within this 34-mile corridor of marsh, grassland, and forest that is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, you'll find over 300 species of animals and opportunities for a wide range of outdoor and educational activities.

including:
• Anna Gronseth Prairie
• Blazing Star Prairie Scientific & Natural Area
• Bluestem Prairie Scientific & Natural Area
• Chippewa Prairie
• Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie
• Margherita Preserve/Audubon Prairie
• Ottawa Bluffs Preserve
• Pembina Trail Preserve Scientific and Natural Area
• Pankratz Memorial Prairie
• Schaefer Prairie
• Susie Island Francis Lee Jaques Memorial Preserve
• Town Hall Prairie Preserve
• Trout Lily
• Weaver Dunes Scientific and Natural Area

Bob Fisher. Bob and I had talked for a while about a winter trip up north to find some of the boreal species, especially owls. Duluth, MN seemed like the logical choice for a base of operations. 

available from Blake Maybank's "Birding the Americas - Trip Report and Trip Planning Repository". 

we might find a Gyrfalcon in the harbor, a Three-toed Woodpecker in a bog, and we'll search for a Boreal Owl. Previous winters have produced Hoary Redpoll, Townsend's Solitaire, and Varied Thrush coming to the feeders in area backyards!

From the remote coniferous forests along the Gunflint Trail, to the sedge marshes and tamarack bogs near Duluth, and west to the rolling grasslands and alkaline wetlands near Jamestown, North Dakota, this tour offers a wide variety of habitats that are home to many sought-after birds. Here as well is a multitude of more familiar species in full song, in colorful breeding plumage, and on their breeding grounds--aspects unfamiliar to those birders who see these birds only in winter or during migration. In all, as many as 200 species are typically recorded on this trip. 
• Minnesota & North Dakota June 17 - June 24, 2003 (10.0 days - Limit 16) with leader Kim Eckert and Marshall Iliff
VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT).  This tour is intended to introduce birders to the considerable variety of migrants that concentrate along the shores of the western Great Lakes. Given favorable west or northwest winds, impressive numbers of birds follow the shoreline and parallel ridges along Lake Superior as they travel south and funnel through Duluth at the western tip of the lake.
• Fall Migration in Duluth, Minnesota: An Introductory Birding Tour October 08 – October 12, 2003 (5 days – Limit 8 ) with Kim Eckert. 

Tours - A mid-winter tour of northern Minnesota may not appeal to the average tourist (indeed, it may even look like a misprint to some), but Duluth and vicinity during the coldest months of the year have long been an attractive site for visiting birders. Though an average trip list here may only include some 30 to 40 species, it is not unusual for the majority of these to be life birds for someone in the group! 
• Northern Minnesota Winter Weekend January 17 - January 21, 2004 (4.0 days - Limit 16) with leader Kim Eckert

....Eagle Watch - March 2 - 3, 2002 - Winona, Minnesota. 

Bald Eagle viewing and eagle ecology. Contact: Winona Convention and Visitor Bureau - Box 870 - Winona, MN 55987-0870 Phone: 800-657-4972 or 507-452-2272

Phone: 800-568-5722

Expert and novice birders are invited to join the Gunflint Trail community in the fifth annual festival celebrating the birds of the Boreal Forest. Located in the far northeastern corner of Minnesota, the Gunflint Trail (County Road 12), traverses from Grand Marais, Minnesota, on Lake Superior, to Saganaga Lake, on the Minnesota-Canadian border. Contact: Gunflint Trail Association, P.O. Box 205, Grand Marais, MN 55604. TEL: (800) 338-6932.

The Detroit Lakes area is the heart of a transition zone in northwestern Minnesota. It's a place where the tall grass prairie meets both northern hardwood and boreal forest ecosystems. The diversity of plant, animal and bird life here is unique. In a small geographic area, birders, can find a tremendous variety of species. Mid May birding can be spectacular! Phone: 800-542-3992.

eagles, warblers and white pelicans in the solace of Voyageurs National Park. This celebration of spring migration offers naturalist-led birding walker, campfire talkers and boat tours to help you discover the birding opportunities available in this water-based park. Contact Carol Maass at Voyageurs National Park (218) 283-9821 Fax: (218) 285-7407 Email: carol_maass@nps.gov

August 5 and 6, 2000.  Contact Bridget Olson for further information or telephone (320) 273-2191.

Wildlife Refuge, 17076 293 Avenue, Zimmerman, MN 55398. TEL: (736) 389-3323.