Judd Brink is a local guide and naturalist who provides a weekly birding report during the spring bird migration, the summer nesting season, and the fall bird migration for Visit Brainerd. This is the 12th season Judd has provided birding reports about the Brainerd Lakes Area in Central Minnesota.

Birds Spotted in the Brainerd Area:

Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Whip-poor Will, Green Heron, Great-blue Heron, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Wild Turkey, Wood duck, Mallard, Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Cedar Waxwing, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Tree Swallow, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Common Loon, Killdeer, Cliff Swallow, House Wren, Common Raven, Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Kingbird and Belted Kingfisher. Happy Birding!

A rare Whooping Crane is currently being reported in Southern Minnesota. There are only about 600 wild cranes in the world!

If you want to share a photo or have a unique bird sighting please email them to Judd Brink.

Be Bear Aware! Starting to see and hear about bears visiting feeders and causing some minor damage.  Try to bring feeders inside, stop feeding suet, and bring any bird seed kept outside into a garage.

Brainerd Area Birding Locations:
  • French Rapids ( Mississippi River): Waterfowl
  • Kiwanis/Rotary Park (Mississippi River): Waterfowl and Warblers
  • Northland Arboretum: Sparrows, Warblers and Tanagers
  • Crow Wing State Park: Songbirds, Waterfowl and Warblers
  • Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge: Sandhill Cranes

Judd Brink is the owner of MN Backyard Birds and can help make your home and or business more active and attractive for our feathered friends with bird-scaping. This is a great time to think about bird-scaping your yard to help attract more colorful birds. Ask for native fruiting trees and shrubs to plant around the house or cabin to bring in more birds naturally.

We hope you can share the joy of watching birds from your home or with others when visiting one of the many great birding areas found in the Brainerd area.

Plan your birding trip to Brainerd/Baxter, MN, today. There are a variety of hotel accommodations, wonderful dining, and a lot of other indoor and outdoor activities to enjoy.