Festival Of Birds in Detroit Lakes Minnesota

Set the alarm. Grab the binoculars. Put on good walking shoes.

You don't want to waste any time in birders' paradise - Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. More than 250 species of birds live in Becker County. Why? Because the Detroit Lakes area is in the heart of a transition zone of tall grass prairie, northern hardwood and coniferous ecosystems. Serious birders flock here each spring for the annual Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds.

The 15th Annual Festival of Birds is scheduled for May 17-20, 2012.
To kick off the festival on Thursday, May 17, Carrol Henderson will return to the site where Trumpeter Swans were released in a reintroduction program 25 years ago - Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. Carrol's presentation will detail how the swans were brought back from dangerously low numbers right here in Minnesota, where they now grace many lakes! Our featured presenter comes from the University of Washington - John Marzluff, to enlighten us about his recent findings from his innovative studies on human face recognition in crows. You're certain to think of these black birds in a whole new way after hearing what Marzluff discovered during his studies at his Saturday night presentation!

During the 2011 festival, 175 species of birds were recorded on eight field trips. The Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge/Agassiz Dunes fieldtrip topped the list with 105 species and 100 on the prairie trip to Blue Stem. The first ever out-of-state trip to Fargo recorded 93 species. Other field trips included Hamden Slough and Tamarac National Wildlife Refuges, Smoky Hills Forest, Chimney Swift sit at Bergens Greenhouse and beginning birding at Richwood Winery. Connie Smith of New Mexico won a free pair of binoculars from Eagle Optics!

If you would like to receive our next Festival of Birds program and are not on the current mailing list, please contact us at dlchamber@VisitDetroitLakes.com or call toll free 800.542.3992.
Enjoy our small town hospitality while in Detroit Lakes, including several lodging options and wallet-friendly lodging specials.

On a previous field trip to Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, birdwatchers were graced with a flock of Hudsonian Godwits numbering just over 90 birds. In just four hours, 135 different species of birds were sighted. Field trip leader Doug Buri exclaimed, "I've been looking at shorebirds for 40 years and I don't ever recall seeing 25 species in just 2 hours. What an amazing day!" The Eared Grebe, Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte's Gull and Sharp-tailed Grouse were new sightings for the festival that day. Nearly 200 species are recorded annually at the festival.

Field trip leaders and naturalists for the 2011 festival included Al Batt, Drew Wheelan, Carrol Henderson, Denny and Barb Martin, Sharon Stiteler, Mike Murphy, Keith Corliss, Bob O' Connor, John Voz, Wayne Brininger, Lowell Deede, Betsy Beneke, Judd Brink, Greg Hoch, Ron Windingstad, Beau Shroyer, Rhett Johnson, Dave Bennet.

In recent years, birders have checked these species off their list: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Rough-legged Hawk, Chestnut-collared Longspur, LeConte's and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Rock Wren, Golden-winged and Northern Parula Warblers, Alder Flycatcher and Black-backed Woodpecker.

Any time of year, we welcome you to check out several sites along the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail that are near Detroit Lakes. Download the Bird Checklist of 275 species along the trail below. For more birding opportunities in Minnesota, see the MOU website.

Everywhere you go in Detroit Lakes' bird paradise, you're guaranteed to see birds to check off your bird list. Best of all, you'll hear the winsome call of the loon, Minnesota's state bird. Several Minnesota State Birds were fitted with transmitters during summer 2011 to track their migration locations and other habits. You may follow their daily location, including the three males fitted with the transmitters at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge (TA, LM and BL) as they migrate to their winter locations.

We welcome you to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Happy birding!

2011 Festival of Birds Program

2011 List of Recorded Birds (PDF)

Cumulative List of Recorded Birds (PDF)

Species Checklist (PDF)