Common Birds of Minnesota (USA)

The world's largest owl by length — Sax-Zim Bog near Meadowlands is one of North America's premier owl-watching sites, with up to 6 species in a single winter day.

During irruption years, Minnesota's open farmland and airports attract dozens of Snowy Owls — the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport is a reliably productive site during peak invasion years.

One of North America's least-known breeding warblers — nests in wet spruce-tamarack bogs in Minnesota's northeast corner, singing from deep in the bog interior.

One of the most skulking sparrows in North America — the buffy orange face and streaked plumage are rarely seen well as it creeps through wet sedge meadows.

Minnesota has been central to the Trumpeter Swan recovery — from near-extinction to a large resident breeding population centered on the prairie pothole region.

Famously tame — this boreal grouse earns the nickname "fool hen" by remaining motionless on branches as observers approach to within 2 m on forest trails.

Minnesota's state bird — the BWCA supports 12,000+ territorial loons, the largest breeding population in the lower 48 states, with haunting calls filling the nights.

Males gather at traditional lek sites on open grasslands each April — the choreographed stomping and booming display at dawn is one of North America's finest wildlife spectacles.