herburne National Wildlife Refuge.
Just north west of Minneapolis, this refuge offers good birding opportunities throughout the spring, summer, and fall on The Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive, and the Mahnomen and Blue Hill Hiking Trails. Over 230 species have been recorded here and ideally, the best time to visit is during the spring and fall migrations.
McGregor Marsh.
Situated 2 miles south of the town of McGregor, at the intersection of the 210 and 65, this is an extensive marsh land in the former bed of Glacial Lake Aitkin, and contains the very specific habitat requirements of the rare yellow rail and sharp-tailed sparrow. The best times to visit this site are in early summer, when the songs of territorial birds reveal their locations, and during the winter to look for northern hawk-owls or other visiting winter birds.
Sax-Zim Bog.
One of the top birding locations in the Midwest, this conifer bog is 10 minutes south of Eveleth.The habitat consists of a mix of spruce, tamarack and northern white cedar bogs. Easily accessible to bird watchers, who can glimpse yellow rail, great gray owl, snowy owl, yellow-bellied flycatcher, boreal chickadee, sedge wren, and LeConte's sparrow. Much of the bog can be easily viewed by automobile or by hiking.
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.
Tamarac, 18 miles north east of Detroit Lakes, is located in the heart of one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the Upper Midwest, where the tallgrass prairie, northern hardwoods and boreal forest meet. Migration of songbirds, especially neotropical migrants, can be spectacular in mid to late May. Waterfowl migration is best experienced in late fall, when dabbling ducks and geese are passing through and rafts of diving ducks may be seen on Tamarac's larger lakes.
The Gunflint Trail.
Northeastern Minnesota's Gunflint Trail, (County Road 12) a paved, two-lane road, is 57 scenic miles of corridor through the north woods of Minnesota. From the village of Grand Marais on Lake Superior's north shore, it winds north and west to Saganaga Lake at the Canadian border. An excellent place to find Black-backed Woodpecker and Boreal Owl, as well as Spruce Grouse, Northern Saw-whet Owl and Boreal Chickadee.