Detroit Lakes Festival Of Birds

Detroit Lakes is nestled in the heart of a transition zone between tall grass prairie, northern hardwood and conifer forest ecosystems. That means there are lots of kinds of birds! Which, in turn, means a lot of serious birders flocking here each spring for the annual Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds.

The 28th annual Festival of Birds is May 15-17, 2025.
Event details are being finalized.
Look for online registration March 24.
Save the dates and check back for more information. An early bird registrant will take home a Diamondback HD 8 x 42 binoc from Vortex.

Schedule
Thursday, May 15, 2025
9 am-5 pm: Registration at Detroit Lakes Chamber Office, 700 Summit Avenue
4:30 pm-6:30 pm: Bird Trivia Social at Zorbaz, 402 West Lake Drive, Detroit Lakes

Friday, May 16, 2025
9 am-5 pm: Registration at Detroit Lakes Chamber Office, 700 Summit Avenue
5:30 am-2 pm: Field trip by coach bus to Mahnomen Ecoregion
5:30 am-Noon: If enough interest, Field trip by caravan to Dunton Locks County Park/Ortenstone Gardens (also held Saturday). Limit: 25 participants
5 pm-7 pm: Buffet dinner at M State College with Carrol Henderson presentation

Saturday, May 17, 2025
5:15 am-5:30 am: Registration at Detroit Lakes M State west parking lot
5:30 am-Noon: Field trip by caravan to Dunton Locks County Park/Ortenstone Gardens (Limit: 25 participants)
5:30 am- 2 pm: Field trip by coach bus to Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
3:15 pm-4:30 pm: Book signing by authors and Silent Auction at M State College
5 pm-7 pm: Buffet dinner at M State College with Rebecca Heisman

4:30-6:30 pm, Thursday May 15, 2025
BIRD TRIVIA AT ZORBAZ
402 West Lake Drive, Detroit Lakes
4:30-6:30 pm, Thursday, May 15, 2025 – Cost $20
Let’s kick off the festival with another entertaining evening of Bird Trivia! The social features brain teasers while serving up fun guessing the answers. Meet some new birders and share laughs!
Of the 11 Zorbaz sites today, Tom Hanson first opened the Detroit Lakes location in 1969 in a candy store by the beach. The pizza joint is located across from the mile long city beach. Zorbaz buffet includes macho nachos, pizza and salad. Cash bar available.

5-7 pm, Friday May 16, 2025
DINNER AND CARROL HENDERSON AT M STATE COLLEGE CONFERENCE CENTER
900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes
A National Legacy: Fifty Years of Nongame Wildlife Conservation, 1974-2024
Cost: $
Our 5 pm buffet dinner at M State College includes a meat lasagna and veggie lasagna with a green salad, breadstick or gluten-free bun, an assortment of dessert bars, water and coffee. Special diet option: Vegan lasagna with cashew substitute for cheese. (Indicate on registration if you have a nut allergy)
Over the past several years Carrol Henderson has been writing a book about his fifty-years of wildlife conservation efforts since he was hired by the Minnesota DNR in 1974. The book is being published by fall 2025 by Afton Press of Edina, Minnesota. Please join us for among the first presentations by Carrol Henderson covering the highlights of his new book!
The 200+-page book will be the first to document the creation and evolution of state nongame wildlife conservation programs in Minnesota and across the country over the past 50 years. It will include over 200 photographs of the history of Minnesota conservation efforts on behalf of river otters, Canada lynx, bluebirds, purple martins, timber rattlesnakes, wood turtles, monarch butterflies, sandhill cranes, great blue herons, common terns, common loons, white pelicans, ruby-throated hummingbirds, peregrine falcons, trumpeter swans, bald eagles and golden eagles. It also details Carrol Henderson’s 20 “Life Lessons” that made these accomplishments possible.
It includes the efforts of DNR nongame wildlife staff like Katie Haws and legendary Minnesota conservationists like Art Hawkins, Walter Breckenridge, Bud Tordoff, Pat Redig, Dorene Scriven, Dick Peterson, Kelly Applegate, Roger Holmes and many others. Please join us for Carrol’s presentation in appreciation for his dedication to wildlife!

5 pm-7 pm, Saturday May 17, 2025
DINNER AND REBECCA HEISMAN AT M STATE COLLEGE CONFERENCE CENTER
900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes
Wild Stories from the History of Bird Migration Research
Cost: $
Our evening begins with a buffet of garlic mashed potatoes, meatballs with gravy, green beans, dinner roll, chocolate dessert, water and coffee. Special diet option: asparagus rice pilaf with cashews. (Indicate on registration if you have a nut allergy)
We’ve all heard amazing facts about bird migration—the long distances that birds travel, the ways that they navigate, etc. But did you ever wonder how we figured all of this out? While working for the American Ornithological Society, Rebecca Heisman became fascinated with the varied and creative techniques that scientists have used to study bird migration, and this eventually became the basis for her book Flight Paths: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration. In her talk, she’ll share some surprising stories from the history of bird migration research, from the low tech (counting birds flying in front of the full moon at night) to the high tech (the development of weather radar and radio telemetry for studying birds) and discuss why understanding migration is so crucial for bird conservation.

2025 Field Trips
5:30 am – 2 pm, Friday, May 16, 2025
Mahnomen Ecoregion Tour
Cost: $
Note: M State College will not be open before and after field trip
Bring your lunch, refrigeration is not available
Location: Coach bus leaves promptly from M State west parking lot, 900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes. Requires a minimum of 25 and maximum of 45 birders.
The landscape in the Mahnomen County area rolls from pine and maple forest to the east and true open prairie to the west. It is the narrowest band of landscape transition in Minnesota which crosses four major ecoregions within 30 miles.
We’ll start the early morning targeting warblers and woodland species in the Maple and Basswood Forest on the White Earth Indian Reservation and move westward in search of forest transition and grassland species. Along the way we will stop at several unique habitats, all of which provide great areas for birding. One stop is a nice prairie remnant with early spring wildflowers. There is a hotspot for shorebirds in a flooded pasture that is sure to produce many species.  Bring your own lunch to eat near Twin Valley and we’ll bird along Mashaug Creek. After lunch we will visit some open pasture and grazing lands for Meadowlarks, Black Billed Magpies and possibly Loggerhead Shrike.
During our trip we will be looking for many birds: Greater Prairie Chicken, Western and Eastern Kingbirds, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Loggerhead Shrike, Western and Eastern Meadowlarks, Sandhill Cranes, numerous spring migrating Warblers, Clay Colored, Vesper, Song and Chipping Sparrows, Marbled Godwits, Greater Yellowlegs and many shorebirds and waterfowl. We could also see a Le Conte’s Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Vireo, Golden-winged Warbler, Sedge Wren, Trumpeter Swan and Ruffed Grouse. In addition, the rare Poweshiek Skipperling butterfly has been seen in the area.

5:30 am – Noon, Friday, May 16, 2025
Dunton Locks County Park/Ortenstone Gardens
Cost: $35
Note: M State College will not be open before and after field trip
Location: Meet to caravan from M State west parking lot, 900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes. Trip limited to 25 participants. Also available Saturday, May 17.
On this tour within three miles of Detroit Lakes we’ll explore woodlands, waterways and Trolls!  Danish artist Thomas Dambo and volunteers built six huge trolls from recycled materials in the summer of 2024 and scattered them throughout local parks.
Our first stop is the 53-acre Dunton Locks County Park, which is a Pine to Prairie International Birding Trail site. We will bird the many forest trails looking for several species of warblers that have been seen in prior years among the budding spring trees. We’ll make a stop to see troll Ronny Funny Face. The park is bordered by Muskrat Lake and Lake Sallie so we will look for waterfowl species as well.
NEW SITE! Afterward we will travel to the newly designated 40-acre Ortenstone Gardens where the troll Barefoot Frida hides under a canopy of oaks. We’ll be treated to additional art: A life-sized metal sculpture of two horses. Experience COLORS AND SHAPES, Nature According to Charley Harper through a traveling exhibit created by the Natural History Museum of Toulouse, France in collaboration with the Harper Art Studio in Ohio. Some of Charley Harpers’ minimalist take on nature art will be displayed at Ortenstone Gardens during our field trip and at Washington Square Mall and Becker County Museum.
We’ll walk the mile trail among the woods, wetlands and grasslands sure to be surrounded by a myriad of spring migrant birds. What a delight!
Birds we’ll be looking for: Warblers including American Redstart, Black-and-White, Bay-breasted, Yellow, Magnolia, Blackpoll and Wilson; Grassland sparrows, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Western and Eastern Kingbirds, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Black-billed Magpie, Eastern Meadowlark, Great Crested Flycatcher, Least flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Greater Yellowlegs, additional shorebirds/waterfowl and raptors including Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks.

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
5:30 am – 2 pm, Saturday, May 17
Cost: $
Note: M State College will not be open before and after field trip
Bring your lunch, refrigeration is not available
Location: Coach bus leaves promptly from M State west parking lot, 900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes. Trip requires a minimum of 25 and maximum of 45 birders.
The whimsical woodlands of the Tamarac Refuge are calling birders of all ages to come and explore. As you journey through the mosaic habitats of the pines, hardwoods forests, lakes, rivers, marshes and brushy grassland you are sure to see birds. This pristine 43,000 acre refuge is host to 25 species of warblers including the Golden-winged Warbler. You’ll trek into key sections of the refuge for the best views guided by Tamarac’s knowledgeable, senior wildlife biologist. Sturdy boots or knee high rubber boots are recommended for the short (approximately 0.5 miles) hikes through brushy terrain. Most observations will occur on foot, with some observations from the bus between stops. The refuge has a bird list of 258 species, so there will be plenty of feathered friends to observe. Birds we’ll be searching for: American Woodcock, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, vireos, 25 species of warblers including Golden-winged, Solitary Sandpiper, Sora, Virginia Rail, Trumpeter Swans, Ruffed Grouse, nesting Bald Eagles and Common Loons.

5:30 am – Noon, Saturday, May 17, 2025
Dunton Locks County Park/Ortenstone Gardens
Cost: $35
Note: M State College will not be open before and after field trip
Location: Meet to caravan from M State west parking lot, 900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes. Trip limited to 25 participants.
On this tour within three miles of Detroit Lakes we’ll explore woodlands, waterways and Trolls!  Danish artist Thomas Dambo and volunteers built six huge trolls from recycled materials in the summer of 2024 and scattered them throughout local parks.
Our first stop is the 53-acre Dunton Locks County Park, which is a Pine to Prairie International Birding Trail site. We will bird the many forest trails looking for several species of warblers that have been seen in prior years among the budding spring trees. We’ll make a stop to see troll Ronny Funny Face. The park is bordered by Muskrat Lake and Lake Sallie so we will look for waterfowl species as well.
NEW SITE! Afterward we will travel to the newly designated 40-acre Ortenstone Gardens where the troll Barefoot Frida hides under a canopy of oaks. We’ll be treated to additional art: A life-sized metal sculpture of two horses. Experience COLORS AND SHAPES, Nature According to Charley Harper through a traveling exhibit created by the Natural History Museum of Toulouse, France in collaboration with the Harper Art Studio in Ohio. Some of Charley Harpers’ minimalist take on nature art will be displayed at Ortenstone Gardens during our field trip and at Washington Square Mall and Becker County Museum.

We’ll walk the mile trail among the woods, wetlands and grasslands sure to be surrounded by a myriad of spring migrant birds. What a delight!
Birds we’ll be looking for: Warblers including American Redstart, Black-and-White, Bay-breasted, Yellow, Magnolia, Blackpoll and Wilson; Grassland sparrows, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Western and Eastern Kingbirds, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Black-billed Magpie, Eastern Meadowlark, Great Crested Flycatcher, Least flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Greater Yellowlegs, additional shorebirds/waterfowl and raptors including Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks.

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
5:30 am – 2 pm, Saturday, May 17, 2025
Cost: $
Note: M State College will not be open before and after field trip
Bring your lunch, refrigeration is not available
Location: Coach bus leaves promptly from M State west parking lot, 900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes. Trip requires a minimum of 25 and maximum of 45 birders.
The whimsical woodlands of the Tamarac Refuge are calling birders of all ages to come and explore. As you journey through the mosaic habitats of the pines, hardwoods forests, lakes, rivers, marshes and brushy grassland you are sure to see birds. This pristine 43,000 acre refuge is host to 25 species of warblers including the Golden-winged Warbler. You’ll trek into key sections of the refuge for the best views guided by Tamarac’s knowledgeable, senior wildlife biologist. Sturdy boots or knee high rubber boots are recommended for the short (approximately 0.5 miles) hikes through brushy terrain. Most observations will occur on foot, with some observations from the bus between stops. The refuge has a bird list of 258 species, so there will be plenty of feathered friends to observe. Birds we’ll be searching for: American Woodcock, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, vireos, 25 species of warblers including Golden-winged, Solitary Sandpiper, Sora, Virginia Rail, Trumpeter Swans, Ruffed Grouse, nesting Bald Eagles and Common Loons.

Book Signing and Silent Auction
3:15 pm-4:30 pm, Saturday May 17, 2025
Commons by M State College Conference Center
900 Hwy 34 East, Detroit Lakes
Cost: Free
Join us for a book signing session by the authors and some birdy bargain finds at our silent auction before the evening meal and presentation.
2024 Field Trip highlight species:
Eastern and Western Kingbirds and Marbled Godwit on Rothsay field trip
Sora and Black-billed Cuckoo on Tamarac Refuge field trip
Shorebirds and Red-headed Woodpecker on Hamden/Wannigan/Ike Fischer field trip

2024 Field Trip Checklists
Friday, May 17, 2024 Wannigan/Ike Fischer/Hamden Slough checklist
Friday, May 17, 2024 Tamarac Refuge checklist
Saturday, May 18, 2024 Rothsay/Dunton Locks checklist
Saturday, May 18, 2024 Warblers & Wildflowers checklist
Saturday, May 18, 2024 Tamarac Refuge checklist
2024 Checklist of Total Species Recorded on Field Trips

2023 Field Trip Checklists
Friday, May 19, 2023 Hamden Slough Refuge checklist
Friday, May 19, 2023 Tamarac Refuge checklist
Saturday, May 20, 2023 Maplewood State Park checklist
Saturday, May 20, 2023 Agassiz Dunes SNA checklist
2023 Checklist of Birds Recorded on Field Trips

Festival attendees throughout the years have learned much about birds, wildlife and the environment through presenters such as Don Kroodsma, John Fitzpatrick, John Marzluff, Joel Greenberg, Melissa Groo, Rosalind Renfrew, Sue Leaf, Drew Wheelan, Charlie Walcott, Richard Crossley, Scott Weidensaul, David Sibley, Bill Thompson III, Laura Erickson, Don and Lillian Stokes, Kenn Kaufmann, Dr. Paul Johnsgard, Stan Tekiela, Dr. James Grier, Sharon Stiteler, Al Batt, Jeff Gordon, Joe Hautman, Jeb Barzen, Ernesto Reyes, Noah Strycker, Lyanda Haupt, Kevin Karlson, Randy Kolka, Mike Havlik, Steve Maanum and Marshall Johnson.

If you would like to receive future Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds email updates, please contact us at dlchamber@VisitDetroitLakes.com or call 218-847-9202. For updates, “like” us on facebook. Enjoy our small town hospitality while in Detroit Lakes, including several lodging options.

In recent years, birders have checked these species off their list: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Rough-legged Hawk, LeConte’s and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Golden-winged and Northern Parula Warblers, Alder Flycatcher, Greater Prairie Chicken and Black-backed Woodpecker.

Any time of year, we welcome you to check out several sites along the Pine to Prairie International Birding Trail that are near Detroit Lakes. For more birding opportunities in Minnesota, see the MOU website.

Everywhere you go in Detroit Lakes’ bird paradise, you’re guaranteed to see birds to check off your bird list. We welcome you to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Happy birding!