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: Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Osprey, Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose (first goslings hatch), Mallard, Woodduck, White Pelican, Ring-neck Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Spotted Sandpiper, Great-blue Heron, Sandhill Crane, Tree Swallow, Purple Martin, Rough-winged Swallow, Common Loon, Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, Belted Kingfisher, Yellowlegs, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black and White Warbler, House Wren, American Wigeon, Ovenbird, Ruffed Grouse, American Redstart, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Gray Catbird, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Bluebird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Woodcock, Common Snipe, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Common Raven, Eastern Phoebe, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Swainson’s Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco, Harris Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and Wild Turkey. 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, May 13, there were 1,033,700 birds that flew over Crow Wing County.

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.