Who’s living along the Mississippi River and in the parks?

 

By Maricio Madrigal, Saint Paul RightTrack Intern, Mississippi Park Connection

The Mississippi River and the parks are flourishing with life and are getting better each year through many of our restoration efforts and projects! Each year brings new improvements and with those improvements the return of more species of animals. There are plenty of animals to see along the river and in the parks. The fall sees many animals migrate from Minnesota, but it also sees other animals begin to migrate here as well with some already here coming out more often! So, who can you find out in about during the fall and winter season?

A Great Blue Heron is flying while holding a stick in its beak. It is a light gray bird, with dark gray wings, a mellow orange beak, a small black mohawk, and a light blue patch under its eyes.

Copyright National Park Service / Gordon Dietzman.

Great Blue Heron

Great blue herons are a common bird around the Mississippi River, and they love to come back each spring to nest here in the Twin Cities! Great blue herons like to hunt on shallow water and have a diverse diet from small turtles, fishes, insects, and crayfish. It has even been said they will eat mice! This heron is the largest one here in America. They have a wingspan of six feet and can be up to four feet in height! Great blue herons are often mistaken for great egrets because of their similar appearance and the shift between their feather colors. A great place to find great blue herons in the Twin Cities is at Marshall Terrace Park where they make nests on a nearby island in the spring, or Pigs Eye Lake!

A Bald Eagle soars through the sky, it's got a yellow beak and feet, with a white head and tail end, while the rest of its body feathers are brown.

Bald eagle. Copyright National Park Service / Gordon Dietzman.

Bald Eagle 

Bald eagles love to hang around the Mississippi River and have become more common in Minnesota in the last decade. Bald eagles are categorized like other eagles in a group called sea birds as you can often find them perched or fishing along the river. It’s worth noting that bald eagles during the 19th and 20th century faced rapid population decline because of hunting and their eggs being collected. They also lost a lot of habitat when rivers were more heavily polluted than they are today. However, thanks to regulations and laws the bald eagle population has seen population growth again! Bald eagles are all over our state in places like Hidden Falls, Pickerel Lake, and even Fort Snelling State Park! 

A Wood Duck is floating on the surface of water. Its patter consists of white lines, and white dots on its belly. It has multiple colors on its body from bright green, red, yellow, black, orange, light blue, purple, and tan.

Copyright National Park Service / Gordon Dietzman.

Wood Duck

The wood duck is a colorful bird with vibrant colors appearing from its head to its body. The colors range from green, red, orange, brown, white, and black. The wood duck almost completely disappeared during the 1900s. This was mainly due to its habitat being destroyed and the land becoming unsuitable for them to live on. Thankfully due to regulations and the nest box program the wood duck population has made an amazing comeback and is thriving. They love the marshes and ponds and can often be found at a place like Crosby Farm Regional Park!

A Red-Tailed Hawk has just spread its wings while leaping from a branch into the air. It is light brown/dark brown feathered bird while it's under belly is white. The pattern on both sides of the bird has dots of either brown or white.

A red tailed hawk. Copyright National Park Service / Gordon Dietzman.

Red Tailed Hawk

A common raptor here in the Twin Cities is the red-tailed hawk and they love to be near the Mississippi River. They can also be found in other states and even in South America! They hunt various animals like rabbits and mice while also even hunting large birds. Females are a bit larger than the males! Like bald eagles you can find these birds around the river areas perched on trees or hunting!

A Belted Kingfisher is perched on a pole. Its feathers are maroon-blue while having a white underbelly and white line around its neck. Its beak tip is dark blue while the rest of it is gray.

Belted Kingfisher. Copyright National Park Service / Gordon Dietzman.

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher is a pigeon sized bird with an amazing coat and hairstyle! If you ever see one, you’ll notice that the top of the birds’ head has a spiky row of feathers that stick up! This bird has an amazing feather coat that is white and a gray blue. They make a rattling call which is another thing they are known for! The belted kingfisher also makes burrowed nest which are in the ground and often leave their nesting grounds when feeding grounds aren’t within their nesting area.  If you ever want to see these birds go to Crosby Farm Regional Park, Hidden Falls Park, or Wita Tonka (Pike Island) at Fort Snelling State Park!    

Are There Any Other Animals Living Along the Mississippi River?

Birds of all kinds might be a common animal to see along the river, but they aren’t the only animals to live on it! Beavers and river otters are also living along the river and use it as a source for a home and food. They aren’t seen as often as the many birds you can find but they are out on the river and are a sight to see! 

Beavers have eaten tons of Cotton Wood trees near the Mississippi River.

Beaver might be more elusive but signs they were in the area are abundant along the river. Copyright National Park Service.

Beaver

Beaver are a common animal along the Mississippi River and their populations are growing. You might find beaver huts or dams along the river or in streams as they like to stay in wetland rather than being on dry land. They are also the largest rodent here in North America! Beaver make their homes out of sticks and use mud to keep it together. Have you ever wondered why beaver make dams along the river or streams? It’s because it makes ponds for them to be able to raise their babies in a suitable area. Beaver are engineers and they support other animals around the park like moose to have suitable land to live on. So, if you want to see beaver out and about head over to Fort Snelling State Park and you might just find them working on something or see the many trees they gnawed on as well!

A River Otter is surrounded by vegetation while it's poking half its body out of the water. It has a wet coat of fur that is dark brown and light brown.

River otter. Copyright National Park Service / Gordon Dietzman.

River Otters

River Otters roam around near the Mississippi River and other rivers as they have come back to the Mississippi because of the improvements to water quality and regulations on hunting. They once were faced with near extinction because of human activities, but after well placed protection and conservation efforts they’ve made a comeback! They are playful animals and have a diverse diet from crustaceans, insects, and even amphibians. The river otters love to stay near shorelines and often make homes out of hollowed trees or abandoned burrows or dens made by other animals. It has even been observed that river otters have shared beaver lodges with beavers on rare occasions. Be on the lookout at Fort Snelling State Park for these guys as well or at Coon Rapids Dam!

All these animals can be found along the Mississippi River whether you’re kayaking or hiking they’re around our river and our cities. Please remember though to keep a safe distance if you spot one of these animals and to not disturb their habitats as it helps keep you safe and it keeps them safe. So, go explore the Mississippi River and the parks and see if you can find any animals you’ve never seen before!

 
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