Nongame Wildlife - Northeast Region

The Northeast Region contains pristine lakes and extensive forests. It includes ten counties encompassing the Brainerd Lakes area, Big Sandy Lake, the lakes south of the city of Aitkin, the state forests of Pine County, and the “Arrowhead Country", the most heavily forested part of the state. Forests of aspen, birch and maple in the southwestern counties transition to boreal coniferous forests of pine, spruce, fir and cedar in the northeastern counties of this region.

Here you can find nesting boreal and great gray owls, spruce grouse, and many warblers like the Tennessee warbler, Connecticut warbler, and bay-breasted warbler. This region is also the only place in Minnesota where black-throated blue warblers breed! Other notable birds in this region are the northern goshawk, red-shouldered hawk, bald eagle, common loon, Canada jay and osprey. Bats in this region include the northern long-eared bat and the migratory hoary bat. Fish species include gilt darter, pugnose shiner, northern longear sunfish, and Nipigon cisco. Amphibians and reptiles like the four-toed salamander, spotted salamander, Blanding’s turtle, and wood turtle can also be found here.

Staff in the region are hard at work studying rare species like the northern goshawk, four-toed salamander, and red-shouldered hawk and monitoring common loons. They’re also restoring habitats of threatened species like the common tern and wood turtle. In addition, forest management is a major factor in this region. Staff are trying to better understand how forest management impacts rare species.

Projects in the Northeast

• Red Shouldered Hawk Forest Management Guidelines
• Northern Goshawk Habitat Study
• Common Loon Migration Study
• Common Tern Management
• Wood Turtle Surveys