Birds of the Minneapolis River Gorge
For the past few decades, Dave Zumeta, Minnesota Forest Resources Council's former executive director, has been birding the Minneapolis River Gorge. Dave has provided FMR with an extensive list of species observations — complete with data about abundance and breeding status — to help us track the avian species using the river gorge habitat.
As of January 2026, the list includes 195 species of birds, of which 58 are confirmed or likely current regular or occasional breeding species. His data and anecdotal observations help us evaluate current River Gorge Stewards restoration projects and direct future projects to further improve river gorge bird habitat.
Access the full checklist for the Mississippi River Gorge
Dave's checklist includes observations from throughout the river gorge. You can see a Google map of the study area here.
Dave has recorded roughly four times the number of indigo buntings (like the one pictured above) nesting at the 36th Street Oak Savanna since restoration began in 1999. We're excited to see both our professional and volunteer-powered restoration efforts making a difference in our local flyway! Make sure to read our previous article on Dave Zumeta and his surprising findings.
Learn more about the River Gorge Stewards volunteer program, or email volunteer@fmr.org to receive 6-8 emails a year about upcoming river gorge volunteer habitat and educational events!