Bell Museum of Natural History
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At the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History, two floors of dioramas display all of Minnesota's habitats, along with the birds, animals, plants and insects that populate the state. Constructed between 1920 and the late 1940s, the Bell Museum's dioramas illustrate what Minnesota was like before the ax and plow. The museum is located on the University of Minnesota campus.
www.bellmuseum.umn.edu 
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At Clear Lake in south-central Minnesota, early May is a crucial time for plants and animals. Wildflowers have only a few days to bloom and be pollinated before the hardwood canopy fills in, shutting off the sunlight. Warblers and other songbirds are just arriving from their wintering grounds in the Caribbean, Central ...
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On Lake of the Woods, a double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) defends her nest against an aggressive herring gull. Cormorants are common summer residents in Minnesota. They are fish-eaters and have long been considered a competitor by human fishermen. Scientific research shows, however, that they prey mostly...
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Migrating snow geese (Chen caerulescens) rest and feed in Minnesota on their way from their wintering grounds on the Gulf Coast to their summer breeding grounds in the Arctic. Snow goose populations are exploding due to an increase in cropland and a longer breeding season (caused by warming in the arctic). They are now...
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At the Bell Museum of Natural History, two floors of dioramas display all of Minnesota's habitats, along with the birds, animals, plants and insects that populate the state. Constructed between 1920 and the late 1940s, the Bell Museum's dioramas illustrate what Minnesota was like before the ax and plow. www.bel
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Although normally a nighttime huner, this bobcat (Lynx rufus) is slowly and silently stalking a ruffed grouse in the early morning light. Like most cats, bobcats hunt alone, relying on stealth and ambush to capture prey. Unlike members of the dog family, cats rely on eyesight and hearing rather than scent to locate the...
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Tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) pass through Minnesota in their spring migration from Chesapeake Bay to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. In flight, swans can average 40 to 50 miles an hour. In this diorama at the Bell Museum of Natural History, a group has stopped to rest and feed in the Minnesota River bottoms ...
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This is a revised version with corrected color. Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) flock on the plains of northwestern Minnesota in this diorama at the Bell Museum of Natural History . At the museum, two floors of dioramas display all of Minnesota's habitats, along with the birds, animals, plants and insects that popu...
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Pheasants are not native to Minnesota, but were introduced from Europe and Asia. They thrive in all the non-forested areas of the state. Although usually territorial, males flock together in autumn, along with broods of females. This diorama was a gift in honor of Thomas C. Roberts. www.bellmuseum.org
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Perched against the trunk of a spruce tree is a Great Grey owl (Strix nebulosa), seeking cover from smaller songbirds that have come to harass it. Come evening, any one of these little birds could become the owl's prey. During the day, however, the smaller birds are not in danger. This cooperative "mobbing" behavior, o...
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This is a revised version with corrected color. In late autumn, deer (Odocoileus virginianus) come together in small herds for the winter. Here you see a dominant male, two females and a young male. This herd will have a better chance of surviving the winter if they can stay together, so maintaining order is critical....
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