This ‘fairyland’ bog is a beacon for winter birders – and a sponge for the climate

Even when it's freezing and covered in snow, Minnesota's Sax Zim Bog attracts birders from around the world. They flock there hoping to spot owls, hawks and rare songbirds that spend most of their time in northern Canada. Many of those birds are feeling the pressure of the warming climate, however, so local scientists and wildlife enthusiasts are working to conserve their habitat, which also happens to be a peatland adept at storing carbon. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports. Then, volunteer naturalist Rich Hoeg recently installed listening devices across northern Minnesota to record elusive species of birds. Some of his recordings are informing scientific studies of owls, and surprising even lifelong birders.

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