BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

South Dakota Breeding Birds

223 species recorded across 65 survey routes, 1967 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

South Dakota Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Black-billed Cuckoo has collapsed in South Dakota: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

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Eastern Meadowlark has collapsed in South Dakota: down 92% on the route-weighted index since 1996.

long arc declinecomputed index

Pine Siskin has collapsed in South Dakota: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

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Black-crowned Night Heron has collapsed in South Dakota: down 87% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc declinecomputed index

Great Horned Owl has collapsed in South Dakota: down 85% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc declinecomputed index

Black Tern has collapsed in South Dakota: down 84% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in South Dakota

-59%

Game birds

6 species
-44%

Grassland birds

17 species
-38%

Wetland birds

24 species
-34%

Generalists

12 species
-20%

Arid-land birds

1 species
-16%

Shorebirds

8 species
-15%

Birds of prey

16 species
-1%

Waterfowl

14 species
+19%

Aerial insectivores

20 species
+45%

Forest birds

60 species

South Dakota Bird Survey Routes

Browse South Dakota Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in South Dakota.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +664%Cooper's Hawk +127%Ferruginous Hawk +616%Golden Eagle +35%Northern Harrier -49%Red-tailed Hawk +206%Sharp-shinned Hawk +30%Swainson's Hawk +16%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -72%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -44%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Wigeon -49%Blue-winged Teal -56%Canada Goose 45×Canvasback +55%Gadwall +7%Green-winged Teal -33%Lesser Scaup -21%Mallard -9%Northern Pintail -66%Northern Shoveler -26%Redhead -66%Ring-necked Duck +37%Ruddy Duck -51%Wood Duck +115%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift +48%White-throated Swift +105%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern -45%Black-crowned Night Heron -87%Great Blue Heron +2%Great Egret +73%Green Heron +42%Western Cattle-Egret +69%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +582%

Longspurs & Snow Buntings Calcariidae

Chestnut-collared Longspur -77%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk +195%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Black-headed Grosbeak +603%Blue Grosbeak +149%Dickcissel -34%Indigo Bunting +106%Lazuli Bunting +31%Northern Cardinal +206%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +241%Western Tanager +206%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture +56%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +54%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -18%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove 18×Mourning Dove -6%Rock Pigeon +46%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -19%Black-billed Magpie -4%Blue Jay -64%Canada Jay +259%Clark's Nutcracker -79%Pinyon Jay -18%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -94%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -36%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +26%Prairie Falcon +24%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -12%Cassin's Finch -36%House Finch -39%Pine Siskin -90%Red Crossbill -5%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -81%Barn Swallow -2%Cliff Swallow +57%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +219%Purple Martin -52%Tree Swallow +612%Violet-green Swallow +19%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +25%Bobolink +34%Brewer's Blackbird +308%Brown-headed Cowbird +32%Bullock's Oriole +394%Common Grackle -52%Eastern Meadowlark -92%Orchard Oriole +22%Red-winged Blackbird -25%Western Meadowlark -28%Yellow-headed Blackbird -12%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat +595%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -54%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Tern -84%California Gull -34%Forster's Tern -21%Franklin's Gull -18%Ring-billed Gull +19%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -55%Gray Catbird +173%Northern Mockingbird -55%

Wagtails & Pipits Motacillidae

Sprague's Pipit -58%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -62%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +78%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +12%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +184%Common Yellowthroat +7%MacGillivray's Warbler +2%Ovenbird -23%Yellow Warbler +95%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Baird's Sparrow -29%Brewer's Sparrow -20%Chipping Sparrow +29%Clay-colored Sparrow +66%Field Sparrow -41%Grasshopper Sparrow -13%Lark Bunting -83%Lark Sparrow +12%Savannah Sparrow -21%Song Sparrow +188%Spotted Towhee +250%Swamp Sparrow +110%Vesper Sparrow -25%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -58%

Pelicans Pelecanidae

American White Pelican -46%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +8%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Gray Partridge -16%Greater Prairie-Chicken +759%Ring-necked Pheasant -11%Sharp-tailed Grouse +248%Wild Turkey 15×

Woodpeckers Picidae

American Three-toed Woodpecker +27%Black-backed Woodpecker +18%Downy Woodpecker -34%Hairy Woodpecker +128%Lewis's Woodpecker +43%Red-headed Woodpecker +40%Red-naped Sapsucker 13×

Grebes Podicipedidae

Eared Grebe 24×Pied-billed Grebe +26%Western Grebe -67%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -71%Sora +60%Virginia Rail -43%

Avocets & Stilts Recurvirostridae

American Avocet +128%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet -42%Ruby-crowned Kinglet 13×

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

Long-billed Curlew +70%Marbled Godwit +39%Spotted Sandpiper +35%Upland Sandpiper +40%Willet -49%Wilson's Phalarope -61%Wilson's Snipe +321%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch +776%White-breasted Nuthatch +639%

Owls Strigidae

Burrowing Owl +5%Eastern Screech-Owl -1%Great Horned Owl -85%Short-eared Owl +465%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling +39%

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

White-faced Ibis +105%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Canyon Wren +29%Marsh Wren +282%Northern House Wren +686%Rock Wren -4%Sedge Wren 11×

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +178%Eastern Bluebird -31%Mountain Bluebird +146%Swainson's Thrush 18×Townsend's Solitaire +885%Veery -30%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Dusky Flycatcher -34%Eastern Kingbird -42%Eastern Phoebe -14%Eastern Wood-Pewee +37%Great Crested Flycatcher +394%Least Flycatcher +157%Say's Phoebe +287%Western Kingbird -71%Western Wood-Pewee +79%Willow Flycatcher +179%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo -44%Plumbeous Vireo +178%Red-eyed Vireo -26%Warbling Vireo +172%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.