Cuyuna Country

Birding at Cuyuna State Recreation Area Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area is over 1800 acres of second-growth woodlands, ponds and lakes in a setting of rolling hills and old iron-mine pits. These rolling hills are excellent habitat for a wide variety of birds. Nearly 170 species have been recorded during migration and during the breeding season. Nineteen species of warblers occur in the area. You should travel to the top of Miner’s Mountain in the summer months to spot the Eastern Towhee and enjoy great views of Huntington Mine Lake. STATE PARK BIRDS Occurrence Sp - Spring (Mar—May) S - Summer (Jun—Jul) F - Fall (Aug—Nov) W - Winter (Dec—Feb) Abundance C - Common (Present, relatively easy to find) U - Uncommon (Present, not certain to be seen) O - Occasional (Infrequent, may not return each year) R - Rare (Observed at least once, may not return) Date: Enter the date you saw the bird. Bird Identification Tips When you observe a bird, make note of at least three characteristics. Location: Where did you see the bird? (water, forest, feeder, lower branch, tree trunk, etc.) Body size and shape: Compare to a known bird. (smaller than a...bigger than a...plump like a...slender like a...) Look at tail, legs and bill. (long, short, thick, thin, curved, straight) Colors and markings: Look on wings, tail, back, belly, rump and head. (stripe above eye, white spot on tail, etc.) Sounds and movements: How do they act and sound? (travel alone or in groups, in-flight wing position - soaring, flapping, flap and glide, etc.) F W Canada Goose DATE STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W SWIFTS GEESE, SWANS, DUCKS U U Trumpeter Swan U Chimney Swift O HUMMINGBIRDS Wood Duck C C C Blue-winged Teal C C C Northern Shoveler U U U Gadwall O Mallard C Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck Key Sp S Ruby-throated Hummingbird U U U Sp S F W U U U O O O CRANES U U U U Great Horned Owl U U U U Little Gull R Snowy Owl O Franklin's Gull R Barred Owl U U Great Gray Owl U U Long-eared Owl O O O Northern Saw-whet Owl O O O Whooping Crane R Black Tern O O O O Common Tern U U O Greater Scaup O O Lesser Scaup U U Killdeer C R Semipalmated Plover O U SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES Surf Scoter C O U Common Goldeneye C C C Whimbrel Hooded Merganser C C C Marbled Godwit U Common Merganser O O Ruddy Turnstone R Ruddy Duck R Stilt Sandpiper O U Sanderling O O R U Ring-necked Pheasant O O O O Dunlin U U Ruffed Grouse U Baird's Sandpiper U U Least Sandpiper U U White-rumped Sandpiper R U U U GREBES Pied-billed Grebe U Eared Grebe O U U Rock Pigeon U U U Mourning Dove U U U CUCKOOS O O O NIGHTJARS U O Belted Kingfisher C O C Red-bellied Woodpecker U U U Yellow-bellied Sapsucker U U U Downy Woodpecker C C C C Hairy Woodpecker C C C C U Northern Flicker C C C O U Pileated Woodpecker U U U U American Kestrel U U U O Merlin U O U Great Crested Flycatcher C C C Eastern Kingbird C C C C BITTERNS, HERONS, EGRETS, NIGHT-HERONS Great Egret U Green Heron U U U C C C FLYCATCHERS OSPREY Osprey U U U O Northern Harrier U U U O Eastern Wood-pewee U U U O Alder Flycatcher U U U Pectoral Sandpiper U U Sharp-shinned Hawk U U U Semipalmated Sandpiper U U Cooper's Hawk U U U Least Flycatcher U U U Short-billed Dowitcher O O Northern Goshawk O O O Eastern Phoebe C C C Long-billed Dowitcher U U Bald Eagle U U U Spotted Sandpiper U U Broad-winged Hawk U U U Yellow-throated Vireo U U U Solitary Sandpiper U U Red-tailed Hawk U U U Blue-headed Vireo U U Rough-legged Hawk U Philadelphia Vireo O O U U FALCONS U NEW WORLD VULTURES Turkey Vulture U O O O O O O U U Red-headed Woodpecker CORMORANTS Great Blue Heron U WOODPECKERS KITES, HAWKS, EAGLES Buff-breasted Sandpiper PIGEONS AND DOVES Common Loon Double-crested Cormorant Bufflehead PARTRIDGE, PHEASANTS, GROUSE, TURKEYS Forster's Tern KINGFISHERS LOONS C R U U U U U U U U Herring Gull U U U U U R O O Ring-billed Gull Caspian Tern R F W U O O O Black-bellied Plover Sp S Eastern Screech Owl Sandhill Crane PLOVERS STATE PARK BIRDS R C C DATE TYPICAL OWLS Sabine's Gull Bonaparte's Gull American Golden-plover Black-billed Cuckoo STATE PARK BIRDS GULLS, TERNS RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS American Coot DATE VIREOS U Common Nighthawk O O O Lesser Yellowlegs U U Eastern Whip-poor-will O O Greater Yellowlegs U U Warbling Vireo U U U Wilson's Phalarope O O Red-eyed Vireo C C C Red-necked Phalarope R R DATE STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W JAYS, MAGPIES, CROWS, RAVENS STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S C C C C American Crow C C C C Common Raven O O O LARKS European Starling C C O O O House Sparrow U C C C C C U U U PIPITS Bank Swallow U U U Tree Swallow C C C Northern Rough-winged Swallow C C C Evening Grosbeak O Purple Martin U U U House Finch U Barn Swallow C C C Purple Finch U Cliff Swallow C C C Common Redpoll American Pipit C C C C NUTHATCHES Red-breasted Nuthatch U U U U White-breasted Nuthatch U U U U CREEPERS O U U O WRENS F W Baltimore Oriole U U U Red-winged Blackbird C C C Brown-headed Cowbird C C C Rusty Blackbird U U Brewer's Blackbird U O O Common Grackle C C C Ovenbird C C C U Northern Waterthrush U Golden-winged Warbler U U U C C U U U Black-and-white Warbler C O U Tennessee Warbler U U O O O Orange-crowned Warbler U U White-winged Crossbill O O O Nashville Warbler U U Pine Siskin U U U Mourning Warbler U U American Goldfinch C C U Common Yellowthroat C C C American Redstart C C C Northern Parula U U Bay-breasted Warbler U U C LONGSPURS, SNOW BUNTINGS U U TOWHEES, SPARROWS Chipping Sparrow C C C Yellow Warbler C C C U U Chestnut-sided Warbler U U U Blackpoll Warbler U U C House Wren C C C Clay-colored Sparrow U Marsh Wren U U U Fox Sparrow C C American Tree Sparrow C C U Palm Warbler C U Pine Warbler U KINGLETS U U Golden-crowned Kinglet C C Dark-eyed Junco C C Ruby-crowned Kinglet C C White-crowned Sparrow U U Yellow-rumped Warbler C C Harris’s Sparrow U U Wilson’s Warbler U U C THRUSHES Eastern Bluebird U U U White-throated Sparrow C Veery U U U Vesper Sparrow U Swainson’s Thrush U U Savannah Sparrow Hermit Thrush U U Wood Thrush O O O American Robin C C C THRASHERS, MOCKINGBIRDS Gray Catbird C C C Brown Thrasher U U U O DATE TANAGERS, CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS Scarlet Tanager U O O O Northern Cardinal O O O O Song Sparrow C C Rose-breasted Grosbeak C C C Lincoln’s Sparrow U U Indigo Bunting U U U Swamp Sparrow C C C Eastern Towhee U U U U C U BIRD CHECKLIST CUYUNA STATE RECREATION AREA U Red Crossbill Snow Bunting U Sp S STATE PARK BIRDS WARBLERS O FINCHES CHICKADEES, TITMICE Brown Creeper C WAXWINGS Cedar Waxwing DATE BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES OLD WORLD SPARROWS MARTINS, SWALLOWS Black-capped Chickadee F W STARLINGS Blue Jay Horned Lark DATE U U Checklist created by Robert B. Janssen, Jerry Bonkoski and MNDNR. Data was gathered from MNDNR staff observations, public observations and Minnesota Ornithologist’s Union records. Nomenclature and organization of checklist based off of the Check-list of North American Birds (7th edition) as currently supplemented. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Trails, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4039. Phone: 651-259-5600. The Minnesota DNR prohibits discrimination in its programs and services based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, public assistance status, age, sexual orientation or disability. Persons with disabilities may request reasonable modifications to access or participate in DNR programs and services by contacting the DNR ADA Title II Coordinator at info.dnr@state.mn.us or 651-259-5488. Discrimination inquiries should be sent to Minnesota DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4049; or Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C. Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. © 2019, State of Minnesota, DNR