Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

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, on the banks of the St. Croix River, is home to more than 200 different varieties of birds, including 20 different kinds of warblers.

And that's just the beginning. Robert Janssen spent eleven years surveying birds in Minnesota's state parks and another five compiling the data for the new book "Birds of Minnesota State Parks." 

 and a 42-year veteran of the department, joined 

 to discuss the best places to bird throughout the state.

Henderson has been fascinated with birds since his father first showed him a nest in their cornfield in Iowa. That bird was his "portal bird" — a term for the first sighting that gets someone excited about birding.

Listeners shared their own "portal bird" experiences on social media.

https://twitter.com/mollykayarts/status/591270149371531264

https://twitter.com/JaySieling/status/591269569768992768

Minnesota birders have plenty of species to search for this season. According to 

, there are 439 recorded bird species in the state — and he has seen 406 of them.

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Caroll Henderson, lifelong birder and a 42-year veteran of the DNR, discusses the over 400 species of birds that have been spotted in Minnesota.

The Department of Natural Resources published a new book on birds of Minnesota state parks just in time for your summer trips. GUEST: Carrol Henderson of the DNR

Where to spot birds in Minnesota state parks

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