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Inland waters: In addition
to the Great Lakes themselves, the Great Lakes region is dominated
by water. Inland waters are the lakes, rivers, streams and
other bodies of water that are found upland of the Great Lakes.
Together, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin have nearly 40,000
inland lakes and 150,000 miles of miles of rivers and streams.
These inland waters vary in temperature, depth, current and
chemistry—and because of this diversity they provide a wide
range of habitat to many types of animals, including water-loving
birds.
Inland shores: Among all the
different types of habitat, shorelines—those transition areas
between water and land—tend to support the widest diversity
and abundance of plant and animal life. The shorelines along
the thousands of inland lakes, streams and rivers in the Great
Lakes region tend to be more sheltered and stable than the
shores of the Great Lakes themselves, and provide nesting
sites and hunting habitat for a wide variety of birds.
Brushy areas: These upland
areas are covered with bushes and low, scrubby trees that
provide shelter and protection for many birds and other animals.
Brushy areas are commonly found on the edges of forests and
woodlands, between woodlands and grasslands, and in abandoned
fields that are reverting to woodland. Such habitat is common
throughout the United States and Canada.