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: Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Golden-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Cape-may-Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, Purple Finch, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, WIld Turkey, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Whip-poor-Will, American Woodcock, Common Snipe, Barred Owl, Common Raven, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern KIngbird, Bobolink, Great-blue Heron, Sandhill Crane, Belted Kingfisher, Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose, Woodduck, Common Merganser, Common Loon, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, House wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Ring-billed Gull, Tern, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-eyed Vireo and Ovenbird. 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 20, there were 2,845,100 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.