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:

Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Ring-billed Gull, Killdeer, Great-blue Heron, Green Heron, Hooded Merganser, Common Loon, Sandhill Crane, Cedar Waxwing, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-headed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Baltimore Oriole, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Eastern Phoebe, Least Flycatcher, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Clay-colored Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Trumpeter Swan, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Barred Owl, Northern Cardinal, Wild Turkey and Eastern Kingbird. Happy Birding!

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

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.