By editor
Sheridan County, Northeast Montana
Located south of Medicine Lake, the Manning Lake Wetland Complex is another crucial component of the prairie pothole ecosystem. It is a sprawling mosaic of shallow lakes, seasonal marshes, and mixed-grass prairie, recognized as an Important Bird Area primarily for its nesting Piping Plovers.
The Piping Plover is a small, pale shorebird that requires sparsely vegetated, gravelly beaches for its camouflaged nests. The fluctuating water levels of Manning Lake create these precise, ephemeral conditions. Beyond the plovers, the complex supports significant numbers of migrating waterfowl, including Canvasbacks and Redheads, which dive for submerged vegetation in the deeper basins.
Visitor Access
Like the Westby complex, Manning Lake is a checkerboard of public (state and federal) and private lands. Birders must carry detailed land-ownership maps and respect private property boundaries. There are no developed visitor facilities. The best birding is often done from the county roads that bisect the wetlands, using a spotting scope to scan the shorelines.