Wilkin County, April 2023 (Darcy Pinotti photo)
Minnesota Birding Weekends (MBW) has once again scheduled another season of unique, modestly priced birding trips within Minnesota – our 40th year! After all these years, we have had a total of more than 470 MBWeekends, 9,000+ registrations, and a composite list
of 370 species seen in Minnesota.
MBWeekend fees continue to be as modest as they always have been...and this year they are even less. To celebrate this End of an Era, all MBWs will be free of charge – i.e., the MBW
fee will be $0!
Included in the MBWs listed below, there will again be some "MBWednesdays" scheduled in 2024. These informal one-day trips do not involve any need for lodging for most participants,
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APRIL 2025 - JANUARY 2026 SCHEDULE
MINNESOTA BIRDING WEEKENDS
PLEASE NOTE:
As most of you are aware, there will be no actual MBW fees on any of the Minnesota Birding Weekends during this 40th and final season. However, Craig and I will continue to have travel expenses during these MBWs, and there are other annual administrative costs as well: e.g., $120 for this MBWbirds website, and a $850 premium for MBW’s general liability insurance. Countless hours in planning, operating, and leading these MBWs are also involved. Accordingly, some of you, especially those who have been coming to MBWs for years (or even a few decades!), would perhaps like to offer donations or gratuities or whatever you wish to call them. Whether you think of these as contributions to help cover our expenses, or to express appreciation for whatever MBWs may have added to your birding experience and enjoyment, Craig and I are happy and grateful to have been a part of it all. –KRE
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• April 11 - 12 - 13, 2025 – Yellow Medicine County •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• April 25 - 26 - 27, 2025 – Polk County •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• May 15 - 16 - 17, 2025 – Rock - Pipestone - Nobles Counties •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• May 24 - 25 - 26, 2025 – Northwestern Minnesota •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
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By clicking on the links for any of the following MBWeekends,
you will find past species lists and other information which will indicate
the areas we may cover on the 2025 MBW and which birds might be seen.
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• June 1 - 2 - 3, 2025 – Houston - Winona Counties I •
• June 4 - 5 - 6, 2025 – Houston - Winona Counties II •
Because of a long waiting list and limited lodging availability on the originally
scheduled dates, 2 MBWs have now been scheduled
- Base La Crosse, WI: nights of May 31-June 1-June 2 on MBW I
nights of June 3 - 4 - 5 on MBW II
- Limit: 7 participants in 2 vehicles on MBW I
15 participants in 4 vehicles on MBW II
- STATUS as of May 31: 6 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 0 on Waiting List on MBW I
13 Confirmed, 2 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List on MBW II
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• Summer 2025 MBWednesdays – Twin Cities-area counties & dates TBA •
- Lodging in Base Cites (to be determined) not needed for Twin Cities residents
- Limit: 14 participants in 4 vehicles on each MBW
- STATUS: Registrations will open in mid-June 2025
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• August 30 - 31 - Sep. 1, 2025 – Early Fall Duluth •
- Base: Duluth, nights of Aug. 29 - 30 - 31
- Limit: 22 participants in 6 vehicles
- STATUS as of May 31: 22 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 1 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• September 19 - 20 - 21, 2025 – Jackson - Martin - Faribault Counties •
- Base: Fairmont, nights of Sept. 18 - 19 - 20
- Limit: 22 participants in 6 vehicles
- STATUS as of May 31: 22 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 7 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• October 9 - 10, 2025 – Wilkin & Otter Tail Counties •
- Base: Fergus Falls, nights of Oct. 8 - 9
- Limit: 18 participants in 5 vehicles
- STATUS as of May 31: 18 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 3 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• October 11 - 12, 2025 – Traverse & Grant Counties •
- Base: Fergus Falls, nights of Oct. 10 - 11
- Limit: 18 participants in 5 vehicles
- STATUS as of May 31: 18 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 5 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• November 3 - 4, 2025 – Tofte North Shore I •
- Base: Tofte AmericInn, nights of Nov. 2 - 3
- Limit: 14 participants in 4 vehicles
- STATUS as of May 31: 13 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• November 5 - 6, 2025 – Tofte North Shore II •
- Base: Tofte AmericInn, nights of Nov. 4 - 5
- Limit: 14 participants in 4 vehicles
- STATUS as of May 31: 14 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• November 21 - 22, 2025 – Lower Mississippi River Valley •
- Base: Winona, nights of Nov. 20 - 21
-- Limit: 15 participants in 4 vehicles
- STATUS as of May 31: 15 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 1 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• January 9 - 10 - 11, 2026 – DULUTH MBW & 40th MBW REUNION •
- Base: Duluth, nights of Jan. 8 - 9 - 10
- No Limit on number of participants
- STATUS: Registrations not necessary at this time; all interested will be confirmed
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
Our registration procedure for the 2025-26 MBWeekends
(and MBWednesdays) continues as in recent years ...
• ALL MBW REGISTRATIONS ARE BY EMAIL: registrations received via U.S.
mail, telephone, or text cannot be accepted.
• ONLY ONE REGISTRATION MAY BE SENT PER DAY: i.e., registration for a
second MBW cannot be sent until Noon on the following day.
• A REGISTRATION EMAIL MAY INCLUDE ONLY ONE PERSON (except that
a spouse or other person at the same residence can also be included).
• ALSO NOTE...
- There will be no MBW fees in this final year of MBWeekends.
- Unless stated otherwise, MBWs normally begin at dawn on each day and end
in the early afternoon on the MBW's last day, and most are based in the same
city each night.
- On some MBWeekends, another MBW or extra leader may be scheduled to
confirm additional persons. Other adjustments in this schedule are possible as
well, and any changes will be published here in future updates of this website.
- Most MBWs include one or more weekdays, so check the MBW's dates and
days of the week before registering. If an entire MBWeekend does fit into your
personal calendar, it may be possible to register for just part of that MBW
– please indicate this with your registration.
MINNESOTA BIRDING WEEKENDS
APRIL 2025 - JANUARY 2026
~ OUR 40th and FINAL SEASON ~
