Birding
NationalAudubon Society on South Dakota Birding
MARCH IS THE TIME FOR GROUSE WATCHING AT LEKS
Three of the five North American species of grassland grouse live in SD and the grouse gather in groups during the early spring breeding season to dance on leks—open areas of ground where males display for females. Greater sage grouse, sharp tailed grouse & greater prairie chicken live in SD. Some public and private lands offer access to viewing during the height of grouse lekking activity. La Creek NWR offers a blind for viewing sharp tailed grouse (scroll down for info. on La Creek viewing)
Any trip to a lek starts with doing your homework: Two of SD’s grassland grouse are listed as “Near Threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, (IUNC) so it’s critical for birders to plan carefully and follow all guidelines for minimizing disturbance at leks.
Here is the link to the IUNC Red List web page:
https://www.iucnredlist.org/en
Greater sage grouse – Red List web page:
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679503/92816586
Sage Grouse Centrocercus urophasianus has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016. Centrocercus urophasianus is listed as Near Threatened under criteria A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd.
Greater prairie chicken – Red List web page:
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679514/177901079
Greater Prairie-chicken Tympanuchus cupido has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. Tympanuchus cupido is listed as Near Threatened under criteria A3bcde.
Sharp Tailed Grouse – Red List web page:
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679511/138099395
Sharp-tailed Grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. Tympanuchus phasianellus is listed as Least Concern.
SD Game,Fish and Parks (GFP) Action Plans for Prairie grouse & greater sage grouse (these have maps)
https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/docs/prairie_grouse_action_plan_2023_2027_final_-1-.pdf
https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/docs/sage_grouse_action_plan_jan._2022.pdf
See also SD National Audubon’s Maps of Important Bird Areas,
See also SD Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Hunter Atlas, to learn where public land is for the whole state. Here is a link, but you can pick up hard copies at SDGFP offices
https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=946eccdaadf84df6aa2bcf08e9fb1aaf
By county view of Hunter Atlas, to learn where public land is for a county
https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Minimalist/index.html?appid=a65546ac2a434769ade38ac918a2c13f
La Creek National Wildlife Refuge sharp tailed grouse lek viewing blind is up and ready for people to use.
There are two lek viewing options: one with viewing blind and one without. The one without the lek blind is called the Sandhills blind; it requires you to bring your own lek blind.
- The one with a physical blind is called the Snakepatch blind; it has a wooden blind with chairs and a mowed grass pathway to the location.
Please call 308-760-6268 or 605-891-1071 or email lacreek@fws.gov to reserve a morning in the Snakepatch Blind.
It is highly recommended that first you visit in the daylight and visit the headquarters for directions and a map,
prior to a morning viewing at the lek.
See the Lacreek NWR website for more details. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/lacreek/visit-us/activities/birding
La Creek also has Facebook for the Refuge. Please feel free to share it with anyone interested.
https://www.facebook.com/LacreekNWR?mibextid=YMEMSu
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SD Birding trails (SD GFP):
https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=dba213d2f0f14c8f9c79ec8ccede92d9
Black Hills/Badlands Birding Trails
Birders Guide to Mickelson Trail
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SD OU birding hotspots by Ornithological Society: https://sdou.org/Places/Places.aspx?id=bh
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MAPS WITH LAND OWNERSHIP – by SD GFP
Why do you care? Lots of public land in SD…find out where you can wander without worry about trespass.
Save money buying maps from each federal agency’s office as you go through town.
GFP revises a map each year of land ownership in SD – State of SD creates the Hunter Atlas and hands out free versions at SDGFP offices, but you can get various versions on-line, all three versions are listed below.
https://gfp.sd.gov/offline-atlas/
https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=946eccdaadf84df6aa2bcf08e9fb1aaf
https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Minimalist/index.html?appid=a65546ac2a434769ade38ac918a2c13f
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South Dakota Birding Check list: (over 430 birds and there may be other checklists)
https://www.sdakotabirds.com/checklist/South_Dakota_Bird_Checklist.pdf
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Check Lists
Badlands has 238 birds (I counted by hand so # might be off): https://www.nps.gov/badl/learn/nature/birds.htm
Black Hills National Forest bird list (did not count) https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5114262.pdf
La creek NWR list has 281 birds https://www.fws.gov/refuge/lacreek/wildlife_and_habitat/bird_list.html
Waubay NWR https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Kern Complex Birdlist-b.pdf
Lake Andes NWR https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/birdlist_Oct2012.pdf
Avi Base list for SD https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?region=ussd
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SD Breeding bird Atlas
The second South Dakota Breeding Bird Atlas revision, started in 2008 and was completed in 2012, was a statewide survey to determine the current distribution and status of every bird species breeding in the state of South Dakota. These results were compared to bird distributions during the first SDBBA (1988-1992) to see what changes have occurred. The atlas was conducted by volunteers . It was a great opportunity for birders to contribute to the knowledge of South Dakota birds while having fun and
learning about our local birds and their habitats. Info is also posted SD Game, Fish and Parks (a state agency) web site.
For more information and to download the Atlas or order a hard-copy go to: https://gfp.sd.gov/breeding-bird-atlas/
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Nebraska Crane Season Program
Annual Events in and near Kearney Nebraska
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PHAS List Serve
Prairie Hills Audubon Society has a list serve for members and friends to discuss birds, issues associated with birds and birding field trips.
All field trips are announced on this list serve. To subscribe contact Nancy or Jedediah, phas.wsd@rapidnet.com, 605-787-6466, and jedediah (207) 310-4665, jedediahbeadle@gmail.com
Here is the address:
Please watch our events page or Facebook for field trip announcements
There are also two other list serves in SD on birding : sd-birds and NHBC list serves at IO groups.