Nongame Wildlife - Northwest Region

The Northwest Region includes 23 counties, the historic Red River Valley, the majestic pines of the Itasca and Bemidji areas, the brush lands of the far northwest, the vast forested peatlands, the scenic Red Lakes, and Lake of the Woods. It’s also home to all four major biomes of Minnesota; the tallgrass aspen parkland, the prairie grasslands, the coniferous forest, and the deciduous forest. This incredible range of habitat means that this region hosts a diversity of wildlife species.

Wildlife in the northwest

This region is home to a variety of reptiles and amphibians, like the plains hog-nosed snake, Canadian toad, tiger salamander, prairie skink, mudpuppy, and Blanding’s turtle. It also includes invertebrates like monarch butterflies, Dakota skipper butterflies, and creek heelsplitter mussels. Birds of note are the bald eagle, common loon, trumpeter swan, osprey, prairie chicken, and sandhill crane. The region is also home to a variety of mammals, such as the least weasel and Northern long-eared bat.

Projects in the region

Staff in the Northwest region are monitoring rare species such as the red-shouldered hawk, northern goshawk, Blanding’s turtles and Richardson’s ground squirrel. They are also monitoring piping plover and common tern populations and more common nongame species like the common loon. Staff are conducting surveys for the endangered rusty patched bumblebee and assisting with other pollinator survey efforts.

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