Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program

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Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program

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Love animals? So do we! Come learn about the amazing animals that call Minnesota home. We help protect and preserve thousands of Minnesota's wildlife species.

Run by the Nongame Wildlife Program, which helps Minnesota’s rare and vulnerable wildlife species. Our program supports species that are not hunted or fished, including wood turtles, Leonard's skipper butterflies, rusty patch bumble bees, and other Species in Greatest Conservation Need. We conduct scientific research, restore wildlife habitats, engage in outreach and education programs, and run the EagleCam and FalconCam. In our 40+ year history, we have also successfully restored wildlife species like the bald eagle, trumpeter swan, and river otter. And we couldn't do it without your support! We are the tax checkoff on Minnesota tax forms. Your donations help fund our crucial work and ensure that future generations of Minnesotans can enjoy our wildlife. You can learn more about the work we do over on our website: mndnr.gov/nongame. All visitors must follow our Terms of Use for Social Media Channels: mndnr.gov/site_tools/terms_of_service.html

10/21/2026

🦇 Let’s celebrate bats; an important group of animals for natural insect control! 🦇

The upcoming MN Bat Festival is a great way to learn more about the unique role that bats play in our world. See live bats, learn about research supporting Minnesota’s bats, try using bat research tools and tech, make bat-themed crafts, and more! The Nongame Wildlife team will be there for the entire festival—come visit our booth to learn about our work to understand and conserve these amazing flying mammals!

The Bat Festival runs from 10:00 am-4:00 pm October 31st, at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The festival is free and family friendly. What a perfect way to start your Halloween festivities—there's even a costume contest!

Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HAuAmRadd/

📷 An Eastern Red Bat captured by DNR biologists, and Little Brown Bats hibernating underground.

10/12/2026

An adult loon in its breeding plumage is perhaps Minnesota’s most recognizable bird.
However, our loons are starting to look a bit different this time of year; many have begun to molt or have fully molted.

By the time loons reach their overwintering grounds along Florida’s coasts, they are nearly unrecognizable from the iconic black and white birds with bright red eyes. A loon’s winter plumage is grey and white, and its eyes are no longer bright red! Furthermore, the chicks that hatched earlier this summer have nearly grown to adult size and can look quite similar to molted adults.

So, who’s who? Around this time of year, you may see adults that still have the characteristic breeding plumage, are in the molting process, or have fully molted. Juvenile loons look very similar to adults sporting winter plumage but can be distinguished by the “scalloped” feather pattern on their wings.

📷 Photo of a loon in winter plumage by USFWS and non-breeding adult loon with their wings outstretched (in the process of molting) by Steve Maanum

10/09/2026

Who else has spotted one of these cuties 🐛 scooting across the ground?

These fuzzy caterpillars are called banded woolly bear caterpillars. They are usually more visible in the early fall as they look for a spot under the leaves to curl up for the winter. So, leave those leaves and help these caterpillars become moths in the spring!

To survive the cold, they produce a chemical called glycerol to act as antifreeze, protecting them from the chilly temperatures.

In the spring, they cocoon and transform into the Isabella tiger moth. They find a mate, lay some eggs and the cycle begins again!

🔗https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2024/sep-oct/profile.html

📷 Woolly Bear Caterpillar crawling in dried leaves

10/08/2026

Be a part of the conservation conversation! 📣

The Minnesota DNR is recruiting new members to serve on the Statewide Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Committee and the Natural Heritage Advisory Committee (NHAC). These groups help shape DNR decisions. If you're passionate about conservation and want to make a difference, consider joining!

The deadline to apply is October 15. Learn more and apply here: engage.dnr.state.mn.us/advisory-group-appointment-opportunities

Photo: "Be Part of the Conservation Conversation" Graphic.

10/06/2026

📢 Migration is peaking in Minnesota! 📢

MILLIONS of birds are forecasted to fly over Minnesota TONIGHT and Wednesday night, Oct. 6 and 7! Be sure to go by turning off all non-essential lighting between 11 pm and 6 am to support these birds on their journey. Bright lights attract and disorient these nocturnally migrating birds, increasing the chances of fatal collisions with buildings.

Wondering where, when, which, and how many birds are forecasted to migrate near you? Check out your local migration dashboards at BirdCast (https://birdcast.org/) and the Purdue AeroEco Lab (https://aeroecolab.com/minnesota) for bird migration forecasts and number tracking in real time!

Doing some fall bird watching? What migratory bird are you hoping to spot? 👇 Tell us in the comments!

📊 Figures by BirdCast, University of Illinois, Purdue University, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology

10/03/2026

You may notice that the glass on the Gooseberry Falls State Park visitor center looks a bit different! The new window treatments prevent fatal bird-window collisions.

Gooseberry Falls State Park is along the western shores of Lake Superior, where thousands of birds such as warblers, kinglets, small raptors, and hummingbirds veer around the large lake on their migratory routes.

Why is the window treatment needed? Birds do not perceive glass as a solid object. They may see reflections of trees or sky as habitat to fly to, so they fly toward the window’s reflections unaware they are about to collide with glass. Luckily, there are steps one can take to ensure their windows are bird-safe—the addition of the white dots (or other patterns) across the outside of the glass breaks up the reflections, helping birds perceive a solid object and avoid the windows.

This project, created in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Program, Minnesota State Parks and Trails and Nongame Wildlife Program will prevent birds from accidentally hitting the large visitor center windows and help ensure they can continue their migrations.

Are you interested in creating bird-safe windows? 🔗 Check out the Minnesota Bird Coalition’s website for more information: https://www.mnbirdcoalition.org/bird-safe-windows

📷 Photos of window treatments by Parks and Trails Staff, photo of a golden-crowned kinglet by N. Lewis/NPS, photo of a ruby-throated hummingbird by Alan Schmierer/USFWS

10/01/2026

Have you gone birding with any little ones in your life recently? One of the Nongame Program’s educational project’s gets young students learning about Minnesota’s birds, helping foster a new generation of birders.

The Bird by Bird program kicked off its fourth year with four schools new to the program, bringing the nongame program to ten participating schools with over 800 students across the metro! Schools receive binoculars, bird feeders, curriculum, staff and volunteer support, and finish their year with a bird-themed field trip to Carpenter Nature Center. Through this program we connect students with local wildlife, outdoor recreation, and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

The program is currently full, however if you know a metro-area classroom that would enjoy a day of exploring the amazing world of birds and birdwatching, contact the Wildlife Education Coordinator @ [email protected].

📷 Photos of students birding in field, and a female northern cardinal (one of the species of birds they often observe), credit Moreno, Jesus/USFWS

09/28/2026

In recent nights, hundreds of thousands of birds have been flying south through Minnesota for their fall migration. You can help them arrive safely at their wintering grounds with some simple steps.

Since most birds make their journey at night, lights from buildings and infrastructure can throw them off their migration paths. The artificial light can confuse and exhaust birds, causing them to collide with buildings. To help birds navigate and travel safely, turn off lights in the evenings! That’s right, it’s just that easy.

From dusk to dawn, through October 31, please turn off all exterior lights, and when you are not using an interior room light, turn that off to help the birds, too.

Let’s help birds together by going !

🔗For more information, visit the Audubon’s Lights Out Initiative page: https://www.audubon.org/umr/projects/lights-out-minnesota

📷 Palm warbler perched on tree branch, Courtney Celley/USFWS and Rose-breasted grosbeak perched on tree branch, Courtney Celley/USFWS

09/27/2026

Step outside in the summer and you are likely to hear the long droning of cicadas. Did you hear them this summer?

Male cicadas make this low humming sound as they try to attract a mate. They call only during the day, usually from July to September.

“But wait,” you may say. “I’ve heard cicadas at night?” Well, those are likely crickets or katydids! Cicadas are most active during the day, while crickets and katydids are mostly nocturnal.

Wondering who you’ve heard? 🔗Check out Songs of Insects to identify what calls near you: https://songsofinsects.com/thumbnail-guide-to-species

📷Photo is of a dog-day cicada (a common cicada in Minnesota), posing next to its nymph exoskeleton.

09/25/2026

Have you been to Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth?

Now is a great time to visit! Observe hundreds of birds in the midst of fall migration, including many raptor species. Hawk Ridge staff and volunteers will be onsite daily until October 31 to offer guidance and answer questions, making it a fun time for all!

Your visit could include learning from an expert about bird migration and the birds that are being observed overhead, a live bird demonstration or a hike on their miles of rugged trails. Don’t have binoculars? They have sets you can borrow for free!

🦅Some birds you may observe migrating overhead include bald eagles, sharp-shinned hawks, turkey vultures, American kestrels, and more!

🔗For more information, visit Hawk Ridge’s website: https://www.hawkridge.org/plan-your-visit/visitors-guide/

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Saint Paul, MN
55155

Website

http://mndnr.gov/nongame

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