Animals

Researchers work with a bald eagle chick. Feather and blood samples are taken and analyzed for contaminants. The chick is replaced into its nest sporting a new leg band for future identification.

Introduction

The land, water, and sky of the upper Mississippi River are teaming with life. The Mississippi and the surrounding bluffs and floodplains provide food and shelter for migrating birds, unique fish, and remarkable mammals. Many species of birds summer here with many more species using the river and its forests and grasslands as stopovers during their epic migrations. More than 120 species of fish make their home in the river, along with recovering mussel populations. Otters, coyotes, deer, beaver and muskrats and other mammals live along the river's banks.

The National Park Service routinely conducts studies to monitor and evaluate animal populations. The park also assesses the quality of their habitat and works with partners to restore, connect, and expand natural areas while preventing or supressing invasive species.

 

Wildlife in the Park

Find more information about wildlife in the park, including where to find wildlife and enjoy it.

 

Mammals

Mammals in the park range from tiny, secretive northern shrews to more obvious animals such as otters, beavers, coyotes, and white-tailed deer. Black bears and mountain lions may rarely wander through the park, although neither represent resident populations. Use the checklist below to discover what mammals live in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

 

Birds

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area has a wide diversity of habitats available for birds making it a haven for many species. Migrants use the river as a major migratory path in both spring and autumn. Use the species checklist below to discover the diversity of birdlife in the park or peruse our sampling of bird species accounts.

 

Mussels

Mussel populations, once rare to non-existant in our section of the river, are becoming increasingly common. While they are often overlooked mussels play a signficant role in the river's ecology and have fascinating life histories. Click on this link for more information!

 

Fish

We don't often see fish, except when we catch them, but the river contains large numbers of fish. Fish have made a remarkable comeback in the years after heavy pollution decimated their populations. Their presence makes it possible for eagles, otters, ospreys, cormorants, herons, mussels, and other species to live in or along the river. Use the checklist below to explore the diversity of fish in the river and explore selected fish species that make up, in part, the great biodiversity of the river.

 

Insects

We often find insects annoying. They eat our flowers, defoliate trees, and even bite us, but insects are an important component of our ecosystems. They help clean up dead animals and plants, are important food sources for birds and other wildlife, and pollinate many species of plants, including crops. They are an indispensible component of our environment. Learn more about some of our insects.

 

Reptiles and Amphibians

Amphibians are sensitive to pollutants and reptiles, especially snakes, are sensitive to human disturbance, loss of habitat, and overexploitation. Use the checklist below to view a list of species found in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

 

Research and Species of Concern

Invasive Carp

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is working on an Action Plan to stop invasive carp as far down stream as possible. Are you curious about why these fish are so bad? Read about how they might impact our rivers and lakes, how they spread, and what they eat.

River Otters

North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) were nearly extinct 100 years ago in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Their return to the Twin Cities since the 1980's is a success story for water quality on the Mississippi River.

Bald Eagle Survey

Chances are high that you've seen a bald eagle along the Mississippi recently. The National Park Service is studying bald eagles to determine the persistence of various chemicals in the upper Mississippi River, the Saint Croix and the Apostle Islands. These studies provide insight into how many eagles are here, and the health of the river and related ecosystems.

Park Species List

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

Get Checklist Get Full List List Differences

Species attribute definitions

Search results will be displayed here.

Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.

 

Get Involved

Did you know you can help us figure out the distribution of plants and animals in our park? iNaturalist.com is a citizen science project that allows us to track the location of species we are studying, such as otters, and invasive species within our park. Check out our iNaturalist projects:

• The Life of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
• Minnesota Metro Otter Survey
• Coyotes Sightings in the Twin Cities