Birds

Large bird with a red-crowned, black & white striped head and long, strong beak.
Meme (Pileated Woodpecker)

NPS photo

Bineshiinyag (Birds)

Bineshiiyag (birds) are a constant presence along gichi onigaming from Lake Superior to the Pigeon River. They are the most seen or heard wildlife by visitors to the area. Songbirds give voice to nagamowin akiing, the singing land.

The mixed hardwood-conifer, southern boreal forest along the Grand Portage Trail provides increasingly rare nesting habitat for migratory birds, many of which require large patches of unbroken forest for nesting success. Monument staff began annual surveys of nesting songbirds in 1997 that continue to the present time. These surveys show the most prevalent species are the Northern Parula, Ovenbird, American Redstart, and Nashville Warbler.

The maintained landscape around the reconstructed stockade and the picnic areas provide habitat for sparrows, and thrushes. Look for Merlins and songbirds on Mount Rose and listen for wetland species at a beaver meadow on the western part of the Grand Portage trail.

Migrant species that may not nest within the Monument area include birds that frequent the lakeshore such as gulls and waterfowl, as well as raptors that require large hunting territories and specific nesting sites, like Peregrine Falcons that nest on nearby Mount Josephine.

Listen for the hard to spot singing birds, like bineshiinh (Northern Parula), and find resident birds, like meme (Pileated Woodpecker), as you walk in this southern boreal forest. Sit quietly on one of the benches along the Mount Rose trail and observe the movement around you, or venture out along gichi onigamiing, the Grand Portage Trail for a variety of habitats including wetlands. Take a break at the historic depot and look for shorebirds and migiziwag (Bald Eagles) around the bay.

Read the article Birding for Beginners for some good tips about how to get started if you are new to this activity you can take wherever you go!

Download a bird checklist for the Grand Portage area. For printing purposes, legal (8.5" x 14") sized paper is best.

 
 

Articles About Bird Monitoring in the Area

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    Last updated: May 16, 2024

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    Mailing Address:

    P.O. Box 426
    Grand Portage, MN 55605

    Phone:

    (218) 475-0123

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