Seasonal Presence and Relative Frequency of Selected Species
This list summarizes the seasonal presence of selected bird species in South Dakota, indicating whether each species occurs year-round, during the breeding season, or during the non-breeding season (winter and migration). Within each seasonal category, species are numbered and ordered from least to most frequently observed in the United States based on eBird frequency data. This ordering reflects how commonly a species has been observed by U.S. birders over time and is used here as a relative priority indicator, not as a measure of local abundance or the likelihood of encountering a species at a specific site or season within South Dakota.
Greater Sage-Grouse
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Black-backed Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Pinyon Jay
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Canyon Wren
Northern Bobwhite
Pygmy Nuthatch
Black-billed Magpie
Yellow Rail
Baird’s Sparrow
Chestnut-collared Longspur
LeConte’s Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
White-winged Crossbill
Virginia’s Warbler
Lark Bunting
Upland Sandpiper
Black-billed Cuckoo
Dusky Flycatcher
Plumbeous Vireo
Piping Plover
American Woodcock
Clark’s Grebe
Sedge Wren
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Brewer’s Sparrow
Franklin’s Gull
Red-necked Grebe
Clay-colored Sparrow
Bell’s Vireo
White-throated Swift
Mountain Bluebird
Long-billed Curlew
Swainson’s Hawk
Lazuli Bunting
Least Tern
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Pacific Wren
Bobolink
Dickcissel
Cassin’s Kingbird
Eared Grebe
Bullock’s Oriole
Willow Flycatcher
Western Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Western Grebe
Cinnamon Teal
Western Tanager
Orchard Oriole
Black-headed Grosbeak
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Indigo Bunting
Gyrfalcon
Smith’s Longspur
American Goshawk
Hudsonian Godwit
Bohemian Waxwing
Snowy Owl
American Golden-Plover
Northern Shrike
Snow Bunting
Harris’s Sparrow
Rough-legged Hawk
Redpoll
Marbled Godwit
American Tree Sparrow
Work with experienced local guides who bring regional insight, field expertise, and careful planning to every outing. Whether you’re visiting a new birding destination or exploring close to home, we’ll help connect you with the right guide and shape an experience that fits your goals, timing, and interests.
