Beautiful birds you can see this winter

Wildlife migration in the D

Across Michigan there's a lot of hard work underway to help maintain and manage our valuable wildlife and natural resources, and Erin Rowan from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Audubon Great Lakes joined us in the studio on behalf of our friends at the Michigan Wildlife Council to help spread the word.

Rowan says the kinds of birds we should expect to see this time of the year include ducks and snowy owls. Detroit and Southeast Michigan are a special area where birds' migrating pathways intersect, which means over 350 species of birds will come to the Metro Detroit area every year. 

The Detroit River is also an important bird area. Rowan says it's a great spot for migratory birds to rest and refuel on their journey south. You can also expect to see hawks because they avoid flying over the Great Lakes. Some birds don't need to migrate, and stay year-round -- like bald eagles, red tailed hawks and mallards, and backyard birds like chickadees, cardinals and the white-breasted nuthatch. 

There are a few conservation projects happening right here in the Metro Detroit area to help these species. If you want to help and find more information about Michigan birds, visit facebook.com/MIBirdspage. And to see more great work the Michigan Wildlife Council has highlighted, visit https://hereformioutdoors.org/.