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:

Today’s birding report comes from the Brainerd lakes area: Woodduck, Blue-winged Teal, Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Belted Kingfisher, Great-blue Heron, Sandhill Crane, Ring-billed Gull, Common Loon, Green Heron, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Purple Martin, ClifF Swallow, Eastern-wood Pewee, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Bluebird, Whip-poor-Will, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Mourning Dove, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, Ovenbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Common Raven, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Wild Turkey, Red-winged Blackbird, Scarlet Tanager, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Golden-winged warbler, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Least Flycatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Red-headed Woodpecker. Happy Birding! If you want to share a photo or have a unique bird sighting please email them to Judd Brink.

Here is a fun link to view how many birds are taking flight each night throughout the spring season. Monday, June 3, there were 1,133,500 birds that flew over Crow Wing County.

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 – NOW see migrating 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.