Upper Mississippi River Initiative> Birding Trail

GREAT RIVER BIRDING TRAIL
Audubon is bringing back the birds!

Heron on stump in duck weed (A.B. Sheldon)

• You can see the river habitat and the birds it supports at any of the nearly 500 places along this Great River that we have mapped as part of the amazing Great River Birding Trail. Using these maps you can observe, enjoy, and learn about bird life as the river winds through 10 states. Just follow the Great River Road! Audubon has produced 15 maps in what will be an 18-map series when we complete this ambitious project. The first 10 maps follow both sides of the Mississippi River along the Great River Road from the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota to the confluence with the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois. The Great River Road is the "spine" of the Birding Trail.

• The Trail is a system of easily-accessible sites that are along or close to the Great River Road such as parks, overlooks, and wildlife refuges where people can observe a variety of bird species and enjoy the scenic beauty of the river valley.

• Work is currently in progress to complete the birding trail through the lower five states along the Mississippi River (Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi) for a true "Headwaters to Gulf" trail.

Great River Birding Trail Maps
Explore the best of birding along the Upper Mississippi River. Download our Great River Birding Trail maps and explore. Each map highlights the best places to watch birds in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. Bring a birding book as you try to spot some of the 326 species that use the river corridor for home or migration.