Kare11.com recently did a story about Minnesota’s dwindling bird population. Minnesota has been experiencing significant declines consistent with broader trends across North America. Causes are varied and complex, but key factors have been confirmed:
- Wetland draining for agriculture, pesticides and herbicides alter habitats and food sources crucial for waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds.
- Conversion of prairies to cropland, especially for corn and soybeans, has severely impacted species like the Eastern Meadowlark and Bobolink.
- Logging and suburban expansion have altered forest composition and structure, affecting the ruffed grouse and other woodland species.
- Warmer temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns have altered migratory patterns, breeding timing, and food availability.
- Boreal birds, like the Spruce Grouse, may be losing habitat as their preferred climates move northward out of Minnesota.
- Collisions with human-made objects, and predation by domestic cats are significant sources of bird mortality in urban and suburban areas.
Examples of species declining in Minnesota
Groups making an effort to protect the bird population:
- Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas and Audubon Minnesota track bird populations and habitats.
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) helps protect and restore grassland habitats.
- Lights Out Minnesota aims to reduce bird collisions in urban areas during migration.
The MNDNR Eagle Cam has gone to the Ducks!
Kare11 article and video
Track the 2025 Hummingbird Migration, (SCA, Apr. 2025)
Crows: They Know Who You Are, (SCA, Nov. 2024)
View maps of bird habitat in Minnesota
