Wolf Ridge Spring and Fall Happenings

Bird Flocks Fly South

Our imagination soars as we watch flocks of hundreds of birds cloud the sky on their journey south. Where are they going? How do they know how to get there? How do those tiny animals go all that ways in such a short time? Why do some birds stay all winter while others leave?

dots on maps show where
this event has already been seen
See the list of who's seen
birds flocking so far.

What to look for:

A flock of at least 100 birds flying south together.

Why are migrating birds a sign of fall?

	Think like a bird. You live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or North Dakota. This is a gorgeous, friendly, home and restaurant for the summer. Then the weather changes: Less light each day, less food made by plants, less insects flying around . . . good old Minnesota starts to look a bit sparse!
Birds migrate south because they run out of food and a warm enough place to live. They fly as far south as they need to in order to find good food and shelter. For some birds, "south" might be the southern United States. For others, "south" might mean a trip down to the tropical rainforests of central or South America.
When the days get longer and summer returns, those same birds will fly back here to eat, live, and nest.

Bird Migration on the Web
Wild Birds Unlimited		How do birds migrate? How high do they fly? Hazards and dangers.
Bird Trivia Quiz		Ten fun trivia questions about birds with answers.
How to Identify a Bird		Five steps to identify a bird.

Learn more about birds in these Wolf Ridge classes:

You can study more about birds and migration in the Wolf Ridge Birds class. You will look at feathers through a microscope, discover how wings keep a bird in the air, compare bird bones with those of other animals, see why eggs are so strong, and sharpen your observation skills as you hike and look for birds living at Wolf Ridge. Depending on the season, you might also feed birds from your hand at "Chickadee Landing" in winter, witness hawks soaring above the ridge in fall, release a banded bird, or visit with our live raptors.

Where are the birds flocking?

Flocks of birds are flying south in
School	Town	Date	Observer	Comments
Wolf Ridge	Finland	9/14	Kathy C.	Looked like Cedar Waxwings or Swainsons Thrushes
Sawtooth	Grand Marais	9/18	Megan J.	.
North Shore	Two Harbors	9/20	Elsa E.	.
Salk	Elk River	9/28	Kaylianna	Red winged blackbirds
Northfield M.S.	Northfield	10/18	Robby A., Cole J.	.
St. Mary's	Morris	10/20	TF, JE, DP, SH. CG. TK, SV, MM	.
Our Lady of the Lake	Mound	11/2	Robbie R.	.

Bird Flocks Fly South

Our imagination soars as we watch flocks of hundreds of birds cloud the sky on their journey south. Where are they going? How do they know how to get there? How do those tiny animals go all that ways in such a short time? Why do some birds stay all winter while others leave?

Flocks of birds are flying south in