Birding Bucket List: Tour America’s ‘Duck Factory’ in the Bird-Packed Prairie Pothole Region

What: A sprawling network of seasonal lakes, pools, and marshes amid grasslands that supports waterfowl, shorebirds, and prairie species galore. 

Where: Stretching from Iowa through Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and northeastern Montana into Canada. 

When: Early May through mid-June. 

The spring migration winging north over America’s midsection is often overlooked by birders. Yet some of the continent’s richest birdlife can be found among the ephemeral wetlands of the Great Plains and Upper Midwest. Called the Prairie Pothole Region, this unique ecosystem spans parts of five U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. It’s a little off the beaten path, but with the right preparation, birders who make the trek can expect to see an extraordinary variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and grassland species in and around these shallow pools and ponds, some of which hold water for mere days in the spring.

Around 10,000 years ago, retreating glaciers left behind a landscape of smoothed-over hills pockmarked by small, often seasonal wetlands. Then came the native grasses, growing up to six feet tall and undulating in the wind like an inland sea. Today most of the region has been converted to industrial agriculture, but vital pockets of native habitat remain, and even under cultivation, the land retains a memory of the potholes. Spring rains and snowmelt pool in low spots in the fields. This is where to look for long-distance migrants like Hudsonian Godwits and White-rumped Sandpipers, refueling on journeys that span the hemisphere, from southern South America to breeding grounds in the far north. 

The best time to visit is from early May through mid-June, when you can see migrants as well as a multitude of species settling down for the summer, especially waterfowl. “The region serves as a crucial breeding ground for iconic species,” says Amanda Booher, communications manager for Audubon Great Plains, including at least a dozen species of ducks, from pintails and teal to Redheads and Canvasbacks. The potholes are rich in aquatic plants pleasing to ducks’ palates. Invertebrates like snails and insect nymphs supply needed protein for egg-laying females and growing young, and native grasses provide nest material and cover from predators. So alluring is the area that around 10 million ducks and other waterfowl breed there, earning the region the nickname “the duck factory.”

When I first visited five decades ago, my husband and I were college students, just beginning our life lists. Last May we returned, setting out from Fargo, North Dakota. Conservation areas in the state help protect what remains of the native ecosystem. Matt Solensky, a North Dakota wildlife biologist, recommends Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge for the best variety of species and one of the continent’s largest nesting grounds for American White Pelicans. He adds a word of caution: “Biting flies usually are not too bad at this time, but the midges will be hatching, and they can be annoying.” Be prepared for insects—as well as unabated sun. A hat and sunblock are musts, even on a cold day.

You don’t always need a refuge to find birds. Our first sighting on the trip was an American Bittern “hiding” six feet off the road in a flooded field near Jamestown, North Dakota. The key is to use your car as a blind, so you can get close without startling the birds. The region is cut with roads, only some of which are paved. We preferred to creep along gravel, which offered less traffic and more opportunities to pull over and observe. Be warned, the driving can be rough: Our low-slung car trundled laboriously over a two-rut wildlife refuge road.

Bring plenty of food for your outing, as the nearest town may be miles away. Besides, lunch breaks in the field give you more time for birding. One lunch we spent watching Blue-winged Teal and Gadwalls in a pond; during another, we became acquainted with Forster’s Terns and Marsh Wrens. 

For prairie pothole birding with a few more amenities, like cafes and brewpubs, consider southwestern Minnesota. Swan Lake and Lake Crystal host pelicans, ducks, and Trumpeter Swans. Heron Lake, once famous for nesting Black-crowned Night Herons, attracts ducks to its waters and shorebirds to the surrounding fields. The area also includes Minnesota’s only salt lake, about one-third as salty as the ocean, where lucky birders might see five species of grebes.

Spring weather can be erratic, though this may offer its own advantages. One memorable day we were far outside town near Lake Crystal when a blizzard broke. We struggled to keep the car on the road as wind whipped the snow about and birds dropped from the sky. We identified a Wilson’s Snipe in a ditch and Lapland Longspurs on an intersecting road. Black-hooded Franklin’s Gulls hovered over an adjacent field, buoyed by the wind. 

If you are willing to brave the elements and the bumpy roads, your reward for journeying to the prairie potholes might be the elegant stroll of a pair of American Avocets right past your car. Or perhaps, as we did, you will come to a flooded intersection just in time to watch 28 White-faced Ibises in a V-formation drift down to feed. A lifer, after a half century of birding.

Know Before You Go:

Though the prairie pothole region spreads across five U.S. states and three Canadian provinces, North Dakota is a great place to start. To access many of the state's preserves and conservation areas, set out from Fargo (Hector International Airport offers non-stop flights to many U.S. cities), though note that options for food and lodging in the region can be limited. To explore the prairie pothole region with more amenities, consider southwestern Minnesota. Several birding hotspots are located within a 3-hour drive of Minneapolis, including Swan Lake, Lake Crystal, Heron Lake, and Salt Lake.

The most essential equipment are a good pair of binoculars and a field guide. We used the birding app Merlin, too, but only as a third party providing information, not as a omniscient identifier. A spotting scope is useful when ducks drift over to the far side of ponds. Sun block and a sun hat is a must. Take a lunch along. In early spring, take a hat, gloves and a heavier jacket. Snow storms on the Dakotas and Minnesota are not usual in March or even April. 

This story originally ran in the Spring 2025 issue as “Prairie Dreams.” To receive our print magazine, become a member by making a donation today.