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Ring-necked Duck
Rice Lake NWR is a principal resting area for waterfowl during migration. Hundreds of thousands of ducks, mostly Ring-necked Ducks, stop to rest and feed at Rice Lake NWR in the fall. Ring-necked Duck also nests on some lakes of Aitkin County as well as at Rice Lake NWR. The brown neck ring, for which it is named, is hard to see in the field. Because it has a prominent white ring at the tip of its bill, some people call this duck a Ring-bill.
Sharp-tailed Grouse
From late March to late May it is possible to watch the dance performances of Sharp-tailed Grouse on their leks. The frantic efforts of the hormone driven males is truly a spectacle. Even in winter, the grouse will perform abbreviated versions of their mating dance on the snow-covered leks.
The once-thriving Sharp-tailed Grouse population has declined sharply in the last 50 years. A primary reason has been the loss of grassland and brushland habitats that they favor. To combat this loss of habitat, the Minnesota DNR utilizes controlled burning and tree clearing to prevent open brushlands and grasslands from succeeding into woodlands.
The MN DNR and Sharp-tailed Grouse Society provide blinds near Gun Lake along 450th Street each spring for public, close up viewing of this grouse mating ritual. Contact the Aitkin office of the MN DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife, 218-927-6915 for reserving the blinds. Plan on arriving at least a half-hour before sunrise and staying for three to four hours. Other leks can be found north of Aitkin on County Road 1, east of McGregor on 450th Street and near Tamarack on Kestrel Avenue, go south .5 miles and look to the left/east or north two miles and look to the left/west.
Common Loon
Minnesota’s state bird, the Common Loon, is more at home in the water than on land. Built like a torpedo, it swims under water in search of prey. The Common Loon is a perfect state bird as Minnesota has more Common Loons than any other state except Alaska. Found nesting on many lakes in Aitkin County, their haunting calls are a familiar summer sound of the lake country. Common Loons stage in impressive numbers on Mille Lacs Lake each fall, to rest and fatten up before migrating south for the winter. Numbers of loons on the big lake in October and November can number in the thousands.
Yellow Rail
One of the top ten most wanted birds in the American Birding Association area, Yellow Rails are a locally common summer resident of Aitkin County. Most reliably heard and seen in the sedge marshes in and around McGregor. Listen for them also in the wet sedge marshes near Tamarack, Kimberly and along County Road 18 near the intersection of County Road 5 north of Palisade.
Bald Eagle
The thrill of seeing an adult Bald Eagle cannot be understated. Even though eagles are becoming more common on the landscape, the sight of this majestic bird is one that few forget. Look for their huge stick nests in the tops of large pine trees near open water. There are several nesting sites in the county and many more birds are seen hunting over nearby
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