Birds

Birds and the Mississippi River

Each day, birds must find food, water, shelter, and places offering refuge from predators. This becomes even more important during migration as birds are often moving through unfamiliar terrain with unknown risks. The Mississippi River valley--along with its rich diversity of habitats--provides birds with those important resources. It is little wonder then that this large, south-flowing river forms the core of one of North America's great flyways and offers birders wonderful opportunities to observe a wide variety of species.

What Bird was That?

Use this simple bird key to help identify birds in your backyard or on your visits to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Interactive Species List

This species list is constantly updated and may reflect a more recent checklist than the printable resource above. Search using the keyword "Birds" selected from the drop-down menu. The results may be printed, exported, or downloaded as a spreadsheet for greater analysis.

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List Differences

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Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.

Last updated: September 27, 2022

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

111 E. Kellogg Blvd., Suite 105
Saint Paul, MN 55101

Phone:

651-293-0200
This is the general phone line at the Mississippi River Visitor Center.

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