The Mississippi River Flyway is the most important avian migratory route in North America.  Over 290 species of birds use the river valley as a spring and fall migratory flyway, including forty percent of all the waterfowl in North America. The river environment serves as a migration corridor for waterfowl, and numerous other birds such as raptors, shorebirds, and songbirds.   

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge stretches for 261 miles along the mighty river, from Wabasha, Minnesota to nearly Rock Island, Illinois.  This river country offers fabulous opportunities for birding among the marshlands, backwater sloughs, rich bottomland, open water, and wooded bluffs. 

Each spring and fall, thousands of waterfowl migrate along this flyway.  Thousands of geese and ducks pass through, one of the most impressive are the thousands of Tundra Swans the congregate along the river in October and November.  One of the best spots to observe the swans is in the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge outside of the Village of Trempealeau.  The Mississippi Flyway Birding Festival held each year in early May, features many events such as guided hikes, through the wildlife refuges and boat trips that allow sightings of many species of waterfowl.  The festival in part sponsored by the Audubon Society, provides seminars on river and birding issues and is a cooperative project involving several federal, state, and environmental agencies.   

Currently there are two birding trails that include the Mississippi River corridor and Trempealeau County.