Birdwatching

Birdwatching in Southeast South Dakota is a great way to pass the time on a family vacation. Even if you're not an avid bird watcher you still should bring your binoculars and camera. With more than 300 species of birds to observe along the 33 points of Southeast South Dakota’s Birding Trail. You're sure to see something of interest.
Eastern South Dakota is a stopping place for millions of birds following both the Central and Mississippi migratory flyways in spring and fall. It's varied habitats offer the right environment for nearly 150 nesting species, along with a number of species that nest in the northern reaches of the continent spending each winter here.
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In the grassland habitat areas, birdwatching enthusiasts can observe prairie species such as the Upland Sandpiper, Greater Prairie Chicken, Bobolink and Short-eared Owl. Sandhill Cranes are annual migrants, stopping in fields throughout the western counties of the region. Whooping Cranes have been observed on rare occasions in the same area.
The Missouri River provides sandbars, on which may be found nesting Piping Plovers and Least Turns, and miles-long reservoirs with quiet bays where one may find many species of waterfowls, gulls and terns, including Common Goldeneye, Canvas back, Canada and Cackling geese, and Franklin’s Gull. Sabine’s Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake and Arctic Tern have been found at Gavins Point Dam. Riparian and cottonwood habitats along the shores of the Missouri, James and Big Sioux rivers attract dozens of songbird species, including Bell’s Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
The region’s woodlands are a magnet for three dozen species of warblers during spring migration, such as Blackburnian, Cape May, Magnolia and Mourning warblers. The woods are alive with nesting species throughout spring and summer, such as Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Eastern Wood Pewee. Eastern Screech-Owls are common in the region. One may regularly find American Woodcock and Wood Thrush in the woodlands along the Big Sioux and Missouri rivers.
Prairie pothole lakes and other wetlands teem with migrating and nesting ducks, wading birds, shorebirds and wetland species, including Hooded Merganser, Wilson’s Phalarope, Willet, Least Bittern, and Sedge Wren.
Soaring over the entire region are the raptors, including Bald Eagle, Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk and American Kestrel. Below the Gavin's Point dam, near Yankton, an aggressive work is in progress to re-introduce the Peregrine Falcon.
Enjoy your South Dakota birdwatching experience!
South Dakota Birding Trail Points
1. Great Bear Recreation Area, Sioux Falls.
2. The Outdoor Campus, Sioux Falls
3. Northwest Stretch of the Sioux Falls Bike Trail, Sioux Falls
4. Big Sioux Recreation Area, Brandon
5. Prairie Pothole Lake Loop, near Humboldt
6. Lake Vermillion Recreation Area and GPA, near Canistota
7. Flandreau City Park, Flandreau
8. Milwaukee Lake, near Madison
9. Madison Wetland Management District Headquarters
and Madison WPA
10. Lake Herman State Park, Madison
11. Reynolds Slough GPA, near Madison
12. Lake Carthage, Carthage
13. Chip Allen GPA, near Mitchell
14. Lake Mitchell, Mitchell
15. Hogrefe GPA, near Parkston
16. James River Road, from Milltown to Yankton
17. Broken Arrow WPA, near Platte
18. Gray GPA and Platte Creek Recreation Area, near Platte
19. Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Andes
20. North Point Recreation Area, near Pickstown
21. Randall Creek Recreation Area and Pickstown GPA at Fort Randall Dam, Pickstown
22. Missouri River Bottom Route, Pickstown to Springfield
23. Meier’s Lake Spring Migration Loop, near Avon
24. Gavins Point Dam, near Yankton
25. Missouri River Observation Route, near Vermillion
26. Clay County Lakeside Use Area, near Vermillion
27. Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve, near North Sioux City
28. Spirit Mound Historic Prairie, near Vermillion
29. Union Grove State Park, near Beresford
30. Oak Ridge GPA, near Hudson
31. Newton Hills State Park, Canton
32. Mud Lake, near Davis
33. Atkins Slough WPA, near Tea

Discover Bon Homme County, SD
Avon, Scotland, Springfield,
Tabor, Tyndall
SD
www.discoverbonhomme.com
Beresford
-
Union Grove State Park
30828 471st Avenue
Beresford, SD 57004
www.gfp.sd.gov
605-987-2263
Brandon
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Beaver Creek Nature Area
5 miles SE of
Brandon, SD
www.gfp.sd.gov
605-594-3824 -
Big Sioux Recreation Area
410 Park Avenue
Brandon, SD 57005
www.gfp.sd.gov
605-582-7243 -
Lake Vermillion Recreation Area
26140 451st Ave.
SD 57012
www.gfp.sd.gov
605-296-3643
Canton
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Newton Hills State Park
28767 482nd Avenue
Canton, SD 57013
gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/newton-hills-state-park/
605-987-2263
Garretson
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Devil’s Gulch & Split Rock Park
North end of Garretson
Garretson, SD 57030
www.visitgarretson.com
605-594-6721 -
Palisades State Park
Off Hwy. 11, 1 1/2 miles south of
25495 485th Ave.
Garretson, SD 57030
gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/palisades-state-park/
(605) 594-3824
Madison
-
Lake Herman State Park
23409 State Park Drive
Madison, SD 57042
www.gfp.sd.gov
605-256-5003
North Sioux City
-
Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve
272 Westshore Drive
North Sioux City, SD 57049
gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/adams-homestead-and-nature-preserve/
(605) 232-0873
Sioux Falls
-
The Outdoor Campus
4500 S. Oxbow Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57106
www.outdoorcampus.org
(605) 362-2777
Tabor
-
Tabor Recreation Area
6 miles south of Tabor off SD 52
Tabor, SD
(605) 665-2985
Vermillion
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Clay County Park
Timber Road
4 mi. SW of Vermillion off SD 50
Vermillion, SD
www.vermillioncvb.com/camping.php
800-809-2071
Yankton
-
Chief White Crane Recreation Area
31323 Toe Road
Yankton, SD 57078
www.gfp.sd.gov
605-668-2985 -
Missouri National Recreational River
508 East 2nd St.
Yankton, SD 57078
www.nps.gov/mnrr
(605) 665-0209