# Birding Hotspots in Twin Cities > Minneapolis and St. Paul offer prime birding spots for migrants and locals alike. - Title: Birding Hotspots in Twin Cities · Birds and Blooms | Shortify - Summary: Minneapolis and St. Paul offer prime birding spots for migrants and locals alike. Twin Cities has over 400 migratory birds passing through annually, with key… - Keywords: minneapolis, st paul, birding, migratory birds, urban birding, twin cities, birding hotspots, minnesota, migration, roberts bird sanctuary, bass pond, minnesota valley national wildlife refug - Source: Birds and Blooms — https://birdsandblooms.com/travel/birding-hotspots/birding-minneapolis-st-paul - Author: Lauren David - Published: 2026-11-03T20:30:00+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: minneapolis, st paul, birding, migratory birds, urban birding, twin cities, birding hotspots, minnesota, migration, roberts bird sanctuary, bass pond, minnesota valley national wildlife refug ## Why Twin Cities Is a Birding Hotspot The Twin Cities is a birding hotspot because it lies on one of the four U.S. migratory flyways. > We have over 400 birds that come through Minnesota ## Migration Patterns in Twin Cities Spring and fall are peak birding seasons as migratory birds use the rivers to travel between Central and South America. > It’s kind of like their highway in and out of the two continents ## Key Birding Locations Bass Pond, Roberts Bird Sanctuary, and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge are top birding spots in the Twin Cities. > They have resident great horned owls ## Winter Birding Opportunities Winter brings snowy owls to Minneapolis airport and owls from Arctic regions to Sax-Zim Bog. > In the Twin Cities, there are snowy owls that will come to the Minneapolis airport every year ## Birding Groups and Events Urban Bird Collective hosts 90 events yearly, with 400 new birders joining annually. > We want to make sure that we’re available for anybody ## Changing Birding Demographics Younger and more diverse groups are now active in birding, shifting from traditional senior-focused birding communities. > Birding certainly has changed a great deal from being the type of activity seniors do ## Sax-Zim Bog Birding Sax-Zim Bog attracts owls from Arctic regions and is a prime winter birding spot for northern species. > Northern hawk owls, Boreal owls and great gray owls come to hunt ## Birding Accessibility Birding groups offer free events in accessible locations, including parks with bus lines. > Everything we do is for free, so we’re lowering that barrier of access ## Birding Community Growth The Twin Cities birding community has grown to include over 800 attendees at events annually. > We have 45 leaders ranging in age from 20 to 75 ## Why Birding is Growing Birding is becoming more popular among younger and more diverse groups, with increased interest in urban birding. > It’s nice to see more young people and people of color out bird-watching ## Key takeaway Twin Cities has over 400 migratory birds passing through annually, with key spots like Bass Pond and Roberts Bird Sanctuary.