Locations
White-winged Crossbill © Bryan Calk
Birding Locations
We guide throughout the state and can meet you anywhere. Below are Minnesota’s main birding regions along with a selection of their characteristic birds. Explore these regions and birds for inspiration on where to go and what to expect!
Duluth - Meadowlands - Bemidji - Roseau
Northern Minnesota
Northern Minnesota is characterized by its vast boreal and northern hardwood forests, wetlands, and numerous lakes. Birding here is exceptionally rich, whether you are scanning Lake Superior for gulls, jaegers, and migrating raptors, or exploring the world-famous Sax-Zim Bog for boreal specialty birds such as the Connecticut Warbler and Boreal Chickadee. In the northwest, Greater Prairie Chickens and Sharp-tailed Grouse dance on leks in open grasslands and savannas. In winter, the elusive Great Gray Owl and Northern Hawk Owl inhabit coniferous forests and open landscapes, while many wintering finches, such as crossbills and grosbeaks, thrive in the mixed forests and conifer stands throughout the region.
Northern Minnesota consists of many boreal specialty birds such as Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Boreal Owl and Snowy Owl. Within the black spruce bogs you can find Canada Jay and Boreal Chickadee, American Three-toed Woodpecker and Black-backed Woodpeckers. Birding Lake Superior in the wintertime you may come across wintering gull species such as Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull and Great black-backed Gull and Lesser black-backed Gulls. Can’t forget the numerous wintering finches such as Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak and Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill and Common Redpolls. In the summer months up north you may come across Golden-winged Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Nashville Warbler, Connecticut Warbler and Mourning Warbler all singing on breeding territory in mixed black spruce and tamarack bogs. On the gravel backroads of the north you can find foraging Spruce Grouse and Snow Buntings. As well as Bohemian Waxwings feeding in crabapple and mountain ash trees during the winter.
Pictured: Northern Hawk Owl © Nick Ramsey, Boreal Owl © Liam Hutcheson, Snowy Owl © Brad Imhoff, Boreal Chickadee © Shailesh Pinto, American Three-toed Woodpecker © Felipe Guerrero, Black-backed Woodpecker © David Tønnessen, Iceland Gull © Liam Wolff, Great Black-backed Gull © Jim Merritt, Lesser Black-backed Gull © Brad Imhoff, Pine Grosbeak © David Tønnessen, Evening Grosbeak © David Tønnessen, Red Crossbill © Brian Genge, White-winged Crossbill © Shailesh Pinto, Common Redpoll © Shailesh Pinto.
Minneapolis - St. Cloud - Brainard - Detroit Lakes
Central Minnesota
Central Minnesota features a diverse landscape shaped by the winding Mississippi River, which carves through the region’s rolling terrain. This area is characterized by a mix of hills and valleys, forested with eastern deciduous hardwoods such as maple and basswood. Here, the buzzy songs of Golden-winged Warblers ring out alongside other specialty birds, including Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Towhee, and Tufted Titmouse. These rich deciduous forest habitats are also home to Eastern Screech Owl, Barred Owl, Wood Thrush, and Carolina Wren.
Central Minnesota is the premiere place to find Golden-winged Warbler. It boasts a large portion of this species breeding population. Along the Mississippi River you may also come across birds such as Red-shouldered Hawk and Broad-winged Hawks, Acadian Flycatcher, Ruffed Grouse and Wood Thrush. In the more open draws of central Minnesota you may find singing Henslow’s Sparrows and Eastern Towhees. In small numbers around the Mississippi River holds Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler and Cerulean Warblers. Lakes and ponds hold Trumpeter Swans and singing Swamp Sparrows. Overhead chattering Black Terns and Franklin’s Gulls on the open prairies and wetlands. Central Minnesota is also known for sparrows such as Grasshopper Sparrow and Field Sparrow and LeContes Sparrow in wet meadows.
Pictured: Blue-winged Warbler © Brad Imhoff, Red-shouldered Hawk © Brad Imhoff, Acadian Flycatcher © Shailesh Pinto, Ruffed Grouse © Seth Owens, Wood Thrush © Brad Imhoff, Henslow’s Sparrow © Shailesh Pinto, Eastern Towhee © Brad Imhoff, Prothonotary Warbler © Matt Misewicz, Yellow-throated Warbler © Shailesh Pinto, Cerulean Warbler © Shailesh Pinto, Swamp Sparrow © Shailesh Pinto, Franklin’s Gull © Matt Misewicz, Grasshopper Sparrow © Brian Genge, Field Sparrow © Brad Imhoff, LeConte’s Sparrow © Shailesh Pinto.
Rochester - Marshall - Mankato - Houston
Southern Minnesota
The gently rolling hills and fertile valleys of Southern Minnesota showcase a rich tapestry of ecosystems, blending tallgrass prairie from the southwest with eastern deciduous forest along the winding banks of the Mississippi River. This region is home to singing Prothonotary Warblers, Hooded Warblers, and Cerulean Warblers, making the southeast the perfect place for observing breeding eastern warblers. Meanwhile, the tallgrass prairie in the southwest yields Henslow’s Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Eastern and Western Meadowlarks, and various species of sparrows.
Southwestern Minnesota has native tallgrass prairie that holds species such as Eastern Meadowlark and Western Meadowlark, Blue Grosbeak, Bobolink, Henslow’s Sparrow and possibly LeConte’s Sparrow and Nelson’s Sparrow. Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Field Sparrow and Clay-colored Sparrow can be found in large numbers on top of singing Grasshopper Sparrows. In wetlands Sedge Wren and Marsh Wrens are numerous, along with Eared Grebe and Western Grebe. Whereas southeastern Minnesota is woody wetlands that are suitable for birds such as Prothonotary Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Hooded Warbler and more! Southern Minnesota is also an excellent place to find owls such as Eastern Screech Owl, Barred Owl and Northern Saw-Whet Owl during the winter months. In the scrub brush you can hear the sporadic singing of Bell’s Vireos and squeaky calls of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers in the summer months with soaring Red-shouldered Hawks overhead.
Pictured: Eastern Meadowlark © Brad Imhoff, Blue Grosbeak © Matt Misewicz, Bobolink © Matt Misewicz, Henslow’s Sparrow © Shailesh Pinto, LeConte’s Sparrow © Shailesh Pinto, Nelson’s Sparrow © Shailesh Pinto, Field Sparrow © Brad Imhoff, Clay-colored Sparrow © Matt Misewicz, Sedge Wren © Shailesh Pinto, Marsh Wren © Shailesh Pinto, Eared Grebe © Matt Misewicz, Hooded Warbler © Shailesh Pinto, Northern Saw-whet Owl © Levi Plummer, Red-shouldered Hawk © Brad Imhoff.