Birding in Roseau, MN | Explore the Pine to Prairie Trail

BIRDING

IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA

Welcome to Northwestern Minnesota where a unique collection of habitats provide homes for a tremendous variety of birds. Pine forests, deciduous woodlands, native tallgrass prairie, aspen parkland, sand dunes (remnants of Glacial Lake Agassiz), calcareous fens, bogs, marshes, large and small lakes and rivers make up the transition zone that offers over 275 species of birds. Most of the sites are on public land or private reserves open to the public.

Some of the unique “lifers” you can see here include the Northern Goshawk, Ruffed Grouse, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Yellow Rail, American Woodcock, Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Great Gray Owl, Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadee; Bay-breasted, Connecticut and Mourning Warblers; Red and White-winged Crossbills and Pine and Evening Grosbeaks.

DAY TRIP

Ideas

As Shakespeare said: “The Earth has music for those who listen”.

WAKE UP EARLY AND WATCH THE SUNRISE

...then spend the day bird watching on Minnesota’s Pine to Prairie Birding Trail. Northern MN is home to a tremendous variety of birds because of our unique habitats. There are 15 designated viewing sites within an hour drive from Roseau. Request an ofﬁcial birding guide by contacting roseaupromotions@mncable.net
AGASSIZ NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Explore the refuge offering 61,500 acres of diverse birds, wildlife and plant life. Over 295 bird and 49 mammal species have been observed rightfully making it one of the 50 best places to observe wildlife and one of the 100 best places to observe birds according to the National Wildlife Foundations. Site #12 on the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail. Did you know 80% of the world lives in an area where they cannot see the stars clearly at night? End the night by taking a peek up at the stars and stargazing.
LOST RIVER STATE FOREST

The Lost River State Forest borders Manitoba, Canada and is known as a good birdwatching location. Here you will have opportunities to view great gray owls as well as other birds. Hiking and snowmobile trails are available in the area.
ROSEAU BOG OWL MANAGEMENT UNIT

See a great collection of these beautiful birds….Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw Whet Owl, Great Horned Owl, Spruce Grouse. Look for these various owls on 8,960 acres of peat bog covered with black spruce, tamarack and cedar. Enjoy a peaceful hike with beautiful bird siting!
NORRIS CAMP

This camp is the headquarters of the Red lake Wildlife Management Area. One of the last Civilian Conservation Corps and Resettlement Administration camps in the nation in operational condition. It is listed as a historic place on the National Register Museum site and is an excellent stop for bird watchers.

WHERE TO FIND BIRDS

HUNTER WALKING TRAILS

We have a network of hunter walking trails on Roseau River WMA in 3 locations: (a) Pool 3 (https://files.dnr.state.mn.us /hunting/hwt/ hwt00172_pool_3_hwt.pdf ; (b) River Route (https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/ hunting/hwt/ hwt00175_river_route_hwt.pdf); (c) Headquarters North (https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/ hunting/hwt/ hwt00157_headquarters_north_hwt.pdf). These trails offer moderate-to-easy walking through mixed aspen-conifer forest.
WMA DRIVING TOUR

Take a driving tour of the WMA’s dike road system (see visitor map on the DNR website—link provided above) during the annual Wildlife Drive, which is held for a 9-day period [2 weekends and intervening week] and the 2 weekends following the week of the Roseau County Fair. This drive allows visitors to see the bird life in the vast marshes contained within the dike system. Canada geese, trumpeter swans, great blue herons, and riggnecked ducks are some of the common species.
JUNEBERRY ROAD

Juneberry Road (see visitor map on DNR website): this is a driving tour of a large mosaic of sedge meadows, brushland, shallow marshes, and aspen groves along Roseau County Road 7 northwest of Greenbush, MN. This part of the WMA features species such as sharptailed grouse, sandhill cranes, yellow warblers, and sora rails.

Birding

HISTORY

Had the name Verendrye been that of an American, it would have been bannered across Minnesota, and a legend nationwide. But we seldom, if ever, hear of the dauntless french explorer who led the way across the American wilderness, probing the routes west and northwest nearly one hundred years before Lewis and Clark. Sieur de la Verendrye opened the way for the fur traders through Minnesota, Lake of the Woods, and beyond, into Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He named and mapped more of Northern Minnesota’s major landmarks than any other single individual. Verendrye named Roseau Lake on his 1737 map, translating into French the Ojibway word meaning “reed,” referring to the bullrushes (or phragmites) common in shallow water here. Don’t miss: State Highway 210. This eTrail provides information on birding strategies for this location, birds you might see, directions to each birding spot, and helpful maps. This information was found on www.trails.com and is © Copyright Birding Minnesota. Published by Falcon Publishing. All Rights Reserved.