Duluth – Minnesota, USA

About

Duluth, Minnesota is a port city and together with its neighboring metropolitan area, Superior Wisconsin, makes Twin Ports. The Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin together are considered the largest freshwater ports in the world. The twin cities and seaports are connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Duluth’s expansive bodies of water, forests, and mountains offer a wide variety of outdoor activities for visitors but as well offer a home to various types of wildlife.

The Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve is one of Duluth’s well-known birding hotspots where thousands of vultures, falcons, and hawks migrate in the spring and fall. Over 20 species of raptors have been spotted along the ridge, including the rare Peregrine Falcon and Gyrfalcon. Though one can spot the Broad-winged hawk through August to September. It is known as one of the best autumn hawk-watching locations in North America.

Lake Superior and Park Point offer a notable number of migrating birds in the spring and fall that move around the lake and stop to rest on Park Point. Park Point is a resting stop for gulls, terns, pipits, and other shorebirds during migration. In May you can also spot rare gulls. You can spot over 20 species of warblers alone at park point during migration. Some of the best birding at Park Point is done during foggy, raining, and or windy days where birds are forced to stop until the weather improves.

Owen Traveled to Duluth, Minnesota in June 2021 with Nathan Goldberg of Red Hill Birding.

© Weston Mackinnon

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Birds found here

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  Tennessee Warbler

  
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  Clay-colored Sparrow

  
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  Red-eyed Vireo

  
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  Yellow-rumped Warbler

  
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  Sanderling