“Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly....” This is how a song from the musical Show Boat starts.
And it’s true: many fish and birds do swim in and fly over the Mississippi. The Mississippi River valley is home to 241 fish species. It is also home to 37 mussel species and 45 amphibian species. Fifty mammal species live here, too. Also, 60 percent of the nation’s birds that migrate (move with the seasons) pass through here.
