birding...

Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus © Terry Sohl http://sdakotabirds.com

The state slogan for the South Dakota Department of Tourism is The Land of Infinite Variety, and while the variety is not quite infinite, the landscape of the state is sufficiently varied to provide for a very interesting mix of birds. Because South Dakota straddles the 100th meridian, both eastern and western North American avifaunas are well represented in the state. Indeed, there are hybrid zones for a number of eastern and western counterparts that occur within the state, such as Black-headed and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo and Lazuli Buntings, and Baltimore and Bullock`s Orioles.

The Missouri River roughly divides the state into eastern and western halves, known locally as east river and west river. There are four large earthen dams on the river as it passes through South Dakota and the tailraces below these dams are great spots for vagrant gulls and terns, particularly in fall and early winter. Bald Eagles are common winter residents below the dams, where the water remains unfrozen throughout the winter season. A few Bald Eagles also nest at various sites along the Missouri River. In the central portion of the state, the breaks bordering the river and the uplands surrounding them are vegetated with mixed-grass prairies. These prairies provide habitat to search for breeding grassland species, including Ferruginous Hawk, Greater Prairie Chicken, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Upland Sandpiper, Lark Bunting, and Chestnut-collared Longspur. The Ft. Pierre National Grasslands, south of Pierre (pronounced peer); the state capital, are a particularly good location for these species. Sandhill Cranes are regular migrants through central South Dakota, and Whooping Cranes are observed somewhere in this area during migration on an annual basis. In winter, Gyrfalcons and Snowy Owls regularly occur in the area around Pierre.

Much of eastern South Dakota was historically covered by tall-grass prairie, but this has been almost completely converted to agricultural lands, which consist mainly of row crops and pasturelands. There are also limited areas of eastern deciduous forest in this part of the state. Tracts of deciduous forest can be found along the Big Sioux, James, and Missouri River corridors and in isolated areas along natural lakes or glacially produced hills, such as at Hartford Beach State Park in the northeast and at Newton Hills State Park in the southeast. Many typical eastern deciduous forest species can be found in these areas and they can also provide outstanding birding during migration. More than 20 species of warblers in a day are possible during spring migration. Hartford Beach State Park is the only reliable location in the state to observe Pileated Woodpeckers. Pasturelands in this area harbor nesting Upland Sandpipers and Dickcissels, among other species.

Most of the northeastern and north-central portion of the state is covered by prairie pothole topography. These potholes are the duck factories of North America and many species of nesting waterfowl can be found here. The potholes are also very attractive to shorebirds during migration.

Western South Dakota is vegetated largely by mixed-grass prairie and this area has been much less converted to agricultural lands than the eastern tall-grass prairie. Extensive tracts of this mixed-grass prairie have been set aside in the Grand River National Grasslands in the northwest and the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands in the southwest. The Grand River National Grasslands south of Lemmon, South Dakota, are probably the best place in the state to find breeding Sprague`s Pipits and Baird`s Sparrows, along with many other species of this habitat. Breeding species of the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands include Sharp-tailed Grouse, Long-billed Curlew, Burrowing Owl, and Chestnut-collared Longspur, among others. In the extreme northwestern and southwestern corners of South Dakota there is sagebrush habitat. These areas are the only locations in the state to find sagebrush-associated species, such as Sage Grouse, Sage Thrasher, and Brewer`s Sparrow.

Punctuating the prairie in north-western South Dakota are pine-covered buttes, such as the Cave Hills, Slim Buttes, and Short Pine Hills. These areas provide habitat for many western montane birds along with some eastern deciduous species that invade these sites along riparian draws. Amidst the prairies of south-western South Dakota lie the White River Badlands, much of which are incorporated into Badlands National Park. The eerie landscape of the Badlands provides nesting locations for White-throated Swifts and the juniper groves along the draws harbor Long-eared Owls and Mountain Bluebirds.

Dominating the landscape of much of western South Dakota are the Black Hills, home of Mt. Rushmore National Monument, but also home to an interesting avifauna. Forests in the Black Hills are mostly comprised of ponderosa pine, with typical pine forest birds such as Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin, and Red-breasted Nuthatch as residents. At higher elevations, white spruce forests become common and these harbor breeding Three-toed Woodpeckers, Ruby- and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, and Swainson`s Thrushes (along streams). Aspen groves are interspersed with conifers throughout the Black Hills and these attract Ruffed Grouse and Red-naped Sapsucker, among other species. Streams in the Black Hills are lined by lush deciduous growth and many western riparian species, such as Violet-green Swallow, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, and Bullock`s Oriole can be found there.

Spearfish Canyon in the northern Black Hills, near the town of Spearfish, is a National Scenic Byway and progresses through a picturesque canyon bordered by sheer cliffs and topped with pine forest. Lush deciduous growth borders Spearfish Creek at the bottom of the canyon and provides good habitat for riparian woodland birds. This canyon is also the only reliable place in South Dakota to find American Dipper. The southern Black Hills are somewhat drier than the northern portion and in the southwestern corner of the southern hills (Boles, Roby, and Redbird Canyons) is a small area of pine-juniper-shrub habitat. This habitat holds the northeasternmost population of breeding Virginia`s Warblers in North America, along with an interesting mix of other species, including Common Poorwill, Say`s Phoebe, Pinyon Jay, and Rock Wren.

The most useful website for South Dakota birding is maintained by the South Dakota Ornithologists` Union (SDOU). This website provides brief descriptions of birding locations within the state, rare bird alert phone numbers, and instructions on subscribing to the rare bird alert listserv. Also included is information about the SDOU, its meetings, and South Dakota Christmas Bird Counts. This site maintained by volunteer labor, but it is intermittently updated.