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 11th season Judd has provided birding reports about the Brainerd Lakes Area.

Birds Spotted in the Brainerd Area:

Today’s birding report comes from the Brainerd area: American Redstart, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Veery, Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Common Nighthawk, Purple Martin, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Great-blue Heron, Trumpeter Swan, Common Loon, Woodduck, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Yellowlegs, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Common Raven, Sandhill Crane, Belted Kingfisher and Wild Turkey. Happy Birding! If you want to share a photo or have a unique bird sighting please email them to info@birdminnesota.com.

Please note that while you are enjoying our many lakes, young loons are learning and exploring on those same lakes, so please be careful around loon families. Also, the fall bird migration begins in August, so keep an eye out.

Summer 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.