Short Trips for Target Birds Series
MINNESOTA: Winter Boreal Specialties
TOUR FOCUS
BIRDS & WILDLIFE
SCHEDULED TOURS
2026 :: February 15 - February 19
TRIP LEADERS
TOUR COST
From: $1,950 (See details)
Cost is per person, double occupancy from Duluth, Minnesota. (DLH)
GROUP SIZE
5 - 11 Participants
AVAILABILITY
Feb 10 2026: 11 spaces available
Feb 15 2026: 11 spaces available
PRIVATE TOUR OPTION
This tour is available as a private trip for any size group. The tour cost will vary with the number of people and any custom requests.
TESTIMONIALS
Highlights of MINNESOTA: Winter Boreal Specialties
Description of MINNESOTA: Winter Boreal Specialties
Minnesota provides a wonderfully rewarding experience to birders brave enough to venture into its frigid, snow-covered landscapes. This short, wintertime tour of Minnesota’s northlands highlights quality over quantity; looking for elusive owls and other boreal specialties. Our trip may not often exceed 50 species, but there are always sure to be some heavy-hitters on that list!
Northern owl species are the biggest attraction, especially during irruption cycles. Though abundance and distribution of each species vary largely from year-to-year, peak years can showcase incredible daytime encounters with these rare birds. From the nearly mythical Great Gray Owl, to the ‘bog-bullet’ Northern Hawk Owl, to tiny Boreal Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl, to the quintessential Snowy Owl you never know what each visit will hold. Each year the owl diversity differs dramatically, but we’ll always try our hardest to track down these incredible birds throughout the extensive bogs, meadows, lakeshore, and boreal forests of northern Minnesota. Depending on snow depth and ice-cover we may find other winter raptors like Rough-legged Hawk and Bald Eagle. Of course, the holy grail of boreal raptors is the Northern Goshawk and we’ve had nearly annual sightings!
Traversing remote rural roads and touring Black Spruce/Tamarack forests, we’ll spend 3 full days exploring the famous Sax-Zim Bog looking for boreal specialties like Black-backed and American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, and Northern Shrike. We’ll visit local bird-feeders to look for rare Hoary Redpolls mixed into swirling flocks of Common Redpolls. Pine Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskin, and Purple Finches also frequently visit feeders and can also be found foraging in conifers and birches throughout the region. Red Crossbill and White-winged Crossbill roam the forests for cone-laden conifers. Snow Buntings can sometimes be found quietly foraging on bare ground, totally camouflaged with the surrounding landscape. We’ll check berry-laden bushes for flocks of hungry Bohemian Waxwings.
Heading out in the early mornings to cruise the forest roads can produce Spruce Grouse sightings, while Sharp-tailed Grouse can be found foraging in open snowy fields, and Ruffed Grouse may climb high into birches to feed on catkins. Sax-Zim Bog also hosts the eastern-most population of Black-billed Magpie! Common Ravens and American Crows are abundant.
The bustling, midwestern city of Duluth rises up from the western tip of Lake Superior. We’ll use Duluth as our base for this tour, and will search any open bodies of water along the lakeshore for lingering waterfowl and gulls. Common Goldeneye, American Black Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, “Thayer’s” Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, and Great Black-backed Gulls are all possible. Of course, wherever ducks are congregated there are sure to be predators patiently waiting nearby… keep a close eye on buildings, dunes, and smoke-stacks for Snowy Owls, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcon, and maybe even a rare Gyrfalcon!
Beyond the birding potential, exploring this region in the dead of winter provides the thrill of the unexpected. This vast landscape is home to many cryptic animals and you never know what might cross the road up ahead… American Marten, Red Fox, Snowshoe Hare, porcupine, and even Timber Wolf, Fisher, and Canada Lynx are possible! Moose and White-tailed Deer are fairly common. Keep your eyes peeled! There’s more to see than just birds!
Sparkling scenery dotted with picturesque barns and frozen lakes inspires photographers, birders, and nature-lovers alike. Our short tour each February yields a great appreciation for the harsh yet beautiful climate. Our focus will be to track down as many winter boreal specialties as we can, but our slower pace allows for an educational and rewarding experience. We will discuss in-depth the cycles of boreal specialties, the conservation efforts of this region, and the adaptations these animals have to surviving in this challenging environment. Join us for this unique experience as we search for winter specialties in northern Minnesota! It is sure to be the trip of a lifetime! Just remember to wear layers!
