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Mississippi National River and Recreation AreaThe hard-working Mississippi River spills over the Coon Rapids Dam.
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Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
Blue Bird
Blue Bird
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This pretty bird is bright blue with a red breast.  It eats primarily insects and wild fruit. The bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a migratory bird of the thrush family that usually nests near woodlands. It's territorial, which means that it will try to keep other bluebirds out of its nesting area.

Bluebird populations, once severely depressed due to loss of hollow nesting trees, have staged a come back largely due to nest box programs.

Learn more by visiting the North American Bluebird Society website.

Lock and Dam Number 1 from a long distance.  

Did You Know?
At Lake Itasca, the elevation of the Mississippi River is 1,475 feet above sea level. It drops to sea level at the Gulf of Mexico. More than half of that drop occurs within the state of Minnesota.

Last Updated: April 25, 2008 at 15:20 EST