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To protect and promote the natural, recreational and historic resources of Voyageurs National Park.
Dust Off Your Binoculars: Spring is Great for Birding in Voyageurs
Voyageurs National Park is home to 240 species of birds, and due to the variety of preserved habitats in Voyageurs, the Park houses some of the greatest diversity of avian life in North America. Bald eagles, loons, osprey, great blue herons, terns, gulls, and red-necked grebes are included in the rich array of birds that can found in Voyageurs.
Springtime is one of the best times for bird watching in Voyageurs because so many birds use the Park as a pit stop on their way to further destinations. The hearty raven lives in the Park year round, but some species stay only two or three weeks. The small, raspberry-red Purple Finch makes its home in Voyageurs in the spring and summer. Males can often be heard singing “Chur-lee” in the mornings, and small flocks of this bird are a common sight along the Echo Bay Trail and parts of the Blind Ash Trail. Soon, the forests on the Kabetogama Peninsula will be filled with the memorable tunes of the Swainson’s thrush and the veery, both commonly heard during summer.
To learn more about the birds of northern Minnesota, check out Birds of Voyageurs National Park: A Guide to the Minnesota-Ontario Border Country, for sale through the University of Minnesota Press.