Where the flat plains rise into rolling ridges, the Prairie Coteau forms a landscape of glacial lakes, cattail marshes, and mixed-grass prairie. Countless wetlands provide nesting and stopover habitat for ducks, shorebirds, and marsh specialists, while wooded ridges and farm groves add passerines and raptors. Seasonal shifts are dramatic: spring brings massive waterfowl movements, summer fills lakes with grebes and terns, and fall delivers raptor and sparrow migrations across open grassland. Winter birding remains productive in sheltered parks and valleys. Defined by water and sky, the Coteau’s mix of prairie potholes and glacial lakes makes it one of the Midwest’s most rewarding birding regions.