A South Dakota winter is a lot of sky, a lot of wind, and a lot of me explaining to my windshield scraper that we're in this together. The winter birds in South Dakota handle it far better than I do. Most of the backyard regulars stay put all season, and a whole crew of Arctic birds flies down on purpose, which really makes you wonder what the weather was like where they came from.
The state bird doesn't go anywhere either. The Ring-necked Pheasant became South Dakota's official bird in 1943, and the state's flocks trace back to birds released near Doland in Spink County in 1908. It's a year-round resident, so you can find roosters glowing against the snow in cattail sloughs and shelterbelts all winter long.
Types of Winter Birds in South Dakota
There are 3 types of winter birds in South Dakota you'll see on this list:
- Resident South Dakota Birds – found year-round, and many of them visit feeders
- Winter Migrants / Visitors – birds that come south to South Dakota from Canada and the Arctic for the winter. Big open grasslands, shelterbelts, and the open water below the Missouri River dams are where most of them end up
- Irruptive Species – birds that show up in big, unpredictable numbers some winters (usually when seed and cone crops fail farther north) and barely at all in others
South Dakota is also two states in one, birdwise. East River looks a lot like the Midwest, with cardinals and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, while West River and the Black Hills bring in western birds like Black-billed Magpies, Golden Eagles, and Townsend's Solitaires. Each entry covers ID, male vs female, calls, where to find the bird in South Dakota, and its feeder favorites if it comes to feeders. If you're wondering where your summer regulars disappeared to, here's where birds go in the winter.
1. Ring-necked Pheasant
- Family – Phasianidae
- Species – Phasianus colchicus
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (State Bird, Non-Native Species)
The Ring-necked Pheasant is South Dakota's state bird and its most famous import. Originally from Asia, it's a ground bird that eats waste grain, weed seeds, and buds, and in winter it leans hard on corn stubble and dense cover to get through the cold.
Males are hard to miss: iridescent copper body, green-purple head, red face wattles, a white neck ring, and a tail that's longer than some of my apartment's hallways. Females are mottled buff and brown with a shorter tail, built to disappear into dead grass.
The Ring-necked Pheasant call is the rooster's loud, two-note crow, something like kok-cack, often followed by a burst of wing-flapping. When flushed, they explode up with a racket of cackles that has startled every hiker who's ever lived.
They're found across much of the state, most abundantly in the farm country of central and eastern South Dakota. In winter, look in cattail sloughs, shelterbelts, and weedy field edges, especially after a fresh snow.
Feeder favorites: cracked corn scattered on the ground
2. Black-capped Chickadee
- Family – Paridae
- Species – Poecile atricapillus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird
The Black-capped Chickadee is the small, fearless gray bird that shows up at your feeder five minutes after you fill it. It eats seeds, suet, and dormant insects and their eggs, and it stashes food in bark crevices to come back for later, remembering thousands of hiding spots. (I can't find my car in a parking lot.)
It has a black cap and bib, white cheeks, a soft gray back, and buffy sides. Males and females look alike.
The Black-capped Chickadee call is the namesake chick-a-dee-dee-dee, and the more dee notes it adds, the more alarmed it is. On mild late-winter days you'll also hear the clear, two-note fee-bee song.
Look for it statewide in woodlots, river corridors, towns, and the Black Hills, usually traveling in small mixed flocks with nuthatches and woodpeckers.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts
3. Downy Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Dryobates pubescens
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America and one of the most common winter birds in South Dakota yards. It picks insects and larvae out of bark and weed stems and happily switches to suet when the ground's frozen.
It's black and white with a white stripe down the back, white spots on the wings, and a short, stubby bill. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head, while females don't.
The Downy Woodpecker call is a soft, flat pik, plus a high whinny that tumbles down the scale.
It's found statewide anywhere there are trees, from farmstead shelterbelts to Sioux Falls backyards and the cottonwood bottoms along the Missouri.
Feeder favorites: suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts
4. Hairy Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Dryobates villosus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird
The Hairy Woodpecker is the Downy's bigger lookalike, and telling them apart is a rite of passage for every new birder (and a recurring argument in my head). It digs deeper into bark for beetle larvae and visits suet feeders in winter.
The quickest tell is the bill: a Hairy's bill is nearly as long as its head, while a Downy's is short and stubby. Hairys are also noticeably larger, about robin-sized. Males have a red patch on the back of the head, and females don't.
The Hairy Woodpecker call is a sharp, loud peek, punchier than the Downy's, plus a rattling call that doesn't descend the way the Downy's whinny does.
Look for it statewide in mature woods, river corridors, and the ponderosa pine forests of the Black Hills.
Feeder favorites: suet, black oil sunflower, peanuts
5. Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Melanerpes carolinus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (mostly eastern South Dakota)
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is one of the East River birds that gives South Dakota its Midwestern side. It eats insects, nuts, seeds, and fruit, and it's often the biggest, boldest bird at an eastern South Dakota suet feeder.
Despite the name, the red belly is just a faint blush you'll rarely see. Look instead for the black-and-white barred "zebra" back and the red on the head. Males have red from the bill all the way over the crown to the nape, while females have red only on the nape (and a gray crown).
The Red-bellied Woodpecker call is a rolling kwirr or churr, which is often the first clue one is nearby.
In South Dakota it's most common in the east and southeast, in river woodlands like the Big Sioux, and in wooded neighborhoods around Sioux Falls and Brandon, where one birder calls a pair of them the largest winter bird at his feeders.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower
6. Northern Flicker
- Family – Picidae
- Species – Colaptes auratus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Partial Migrant
The Northern Flicker is a woodpecker that would rather be on the ground eating ants. In winter, when the ants are off the menu, it switches to berries, seeds, and suet.
It's brown with black bars on the back, black spots on the belly, a black crescent on the chest, and a white rump that flashes when it flies. South Dakota sits right where the eastern and western forms meet, so you may see yellow under the wings and tail (Yellow-shafted) or salmon-red (Red-shafted), and plenty of birds in between. Males have a "mustache" stripe at the base of the bill (black on Yellow-shafted, red on Red-shafted), while females don't.
The Northern Flicker call is a loud, piercing kyeer, plus a long, rolling wik-wik-wik-wik in late winter and spring.
Many flickers head south for the winter, but some stay, especially in the southern half of the state and around towns with berry trees and suet.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts
7. White-breasted Nuthatch
- Family – Sittidae
- Species – Sitta carolinensis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird
The White-breasted Nuthatch is the bird that walks headfirst down tree trunks like gravity is just a suggestion. It eats insects, seeds, and nuts, often wedging a seed into bark and hacking it open with its bill.
It's blue-gray above and white below with a white face, a long, slightly upturned bill, and a chestnut wash under the tail. Males have a glossy black cap, while females' caps are usually a duller gray or blackish gray.
The White-breasted Nuthatch call is a nasal yank-yank, like a tiny toy horn.
Look for it statewide wherever there are mature trees, including river woodlands, older neighborhoods, and the Black Hills.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts
8. Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Family – Sittidae
- Species – Sitta canadensis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Irruptive Species (resident in the Black Hills)
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is the White-breasted's smaller, feistier relative, with a habit of showing up in big numbers some winters when the conifer seed crop fails up north. It eats conifer seeds, insects, and feeder seeds.
It has a bold black eye stripe with a white stripe above it, a blue-gray back, and rusty underparts. Males have a black cap and deeper cinnamon underparts, while females have a grayer cap and paler underparts.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch call is a high, nasal ank-ank, often compared to a tin horn, and it's faster and squeakier than the White-breasted's.
It nests in the Black Hills and shows up across the rest of South Dakota in irruption years, especially in spruce, pine, and cedar plantings and shelterbelts.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, suet, peanuts
9. Blue Jay
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Cyanocitta cristata
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Partial Migrant
The Blue Jay is the loud, smart neighbor who knows everyone's business. It eats acorns, seeds, insects, and the occasional egg, and it caches acorns and seeds for later, which is how a lot of oak trees get planted.
It's bright blue above and white to gray below, with a crest, a black necklace, and white wing bars and tail corners. Males and females look alike.
The Blue Jay call is a harsh jay-jay, but it also makes squeaky gate sounds and does an uncanny Red-tailed Hawk impression.
Blue Jays are most common in eastern and central South Dakota in towns and river woodlands. Some move south in fall, but plenty stay through winter.
Feeder favorites: peanuts, black oil sunflower, suet
10. Black-billed Magpie
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Pica hudsonia
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (mostly western South Dakota)
The Black-billed Magpie is West River's answer to the Blue Jay, and it's the bird that makes East River visitors pull over. It's an omnivore that eats insects, seeds, small mammals, and carrion (roadkill is a whole food group to a magpie).
It's black and white with a long, iridescent green-blue tail and flashes of blue-green in the wings. Males and females look alike, though males average slightly larger.
The Black-billed Magpie call is a harsh, rapid chatter, something like shek-shek-shek, plus a range of squawks and whines.
Look for it in western and central South Dakota, around ranches, river bottoms, and towns like Rapid City and Pierre, often in noisy groups.
Feeder favorites: suet, peanuts
11. American Crow
- Family – Corvidae
- Species – Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Partial Migrant
The American Crow is a clever, social omnivore that will eat almost anything, from waste grain to carrion to the french fry you dropped in the parking lot. Crows can recognize individual human faces, which means they've definitely judged my winter hat.
They're all black, including the bill and legs, with a square-ended tail in flight. Males and females look alike.
The American Crow call is the classic caw-caw, plus rattles, clicks, and soft coos.
Many South Dakota crows head south for the winter, but some stay, especially along the Missouri River and in the southeast, where they gather in communal night roosts.
Feeder favorites: peanuts, cracked corn
12. Northern Cardinal
- Family – Cardinalidae
- Species – Cardinalis cardinalis
- Primary Activity Time – Dawn and Dusk
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (mostly eastern and southeastern South Dakota)
The Northern Cardinal is the holiday-card bird, and in South Dakota it's mainly a southeastern specialty. It eats seeds, fruit, and insects, and in winter it lives on sunflower, safflower, and berries, feeding low and close to cover.
Males are brilliant red with a black mask and a big crest. Females are warm tan-brown with red tinges in the crest, wings, and tail, plus the same thick, orange-red bill.
The Northern Cardinal call is a sharp, metallic chip. Males start singing their whistled cheer-cheer-cheer and birdie-birdie-birdie songs on mild late-winter mornings.
Cardinals are most common in the southeast, around Sioux Falls, Yankton, and the Big Sioux and Missouri River valleys, and they get scarcer the farther west you go. They're usually first and last at the feeder, showing up at dawn and dusk.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, safflower, cracked corn. For more ways to keep them around, see our guide to Cardinals in Winter: Where They Go, What They Eat, and How to Attract Them
13. House Finch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Haemorhous mexicanus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird
The House Finch started out as a bird of the Southwest and now lives in pretty much every town in South Dakota. It's a seed eater that loves feeders and travels in chatty flocks.
Males have a red to orange-red head, breast, and rump with brown streaks on the sides. Females are plain gray-brown with blurry streaks and no strong face pattern, which makes them the reigning champions of "wait, what is that."
The House Finch call is a cheerful cheep, and males sing a long, warbling song that ends on a buzzy note.
Look for it statewide in towns, farmsteads, and backyards, especially around feeders and buildings.
Feeder favorites: black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, nyjer
14. American Goldfinch
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus tristis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Partial Migrant
The American Goldfinch doesn't leave in winter, it just goes undercover. It's a strict seed eater that works over sunflower heads, coneflowers, and thistle, and flocks to finch feeders when snow covers everything else.
In winter, males are dull olive-brown with a yellowish wash on the face and throat and bold black wings with white bars. Females are grayer and plainer, with brownish wings. In summer, males turn lemon yellow with a black cap.
The American Goldfinch call is a bouncy po-ta-to-chip given in flight as the birds roller-coaster along.
Look for them across South Dakota in towns, weedy fields, and backyards with feeders, where a Brandon birder found them dominating the thistle feeder most winters.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips, black oil sunflower
15. Pine Siskin
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Spinus pinus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Irruptive Species (resident in the Black Hills)
The Pine Siskin is a small, streaky finch that shows up in huge numbers some winters and hardly at all in others. It eats conifer seeds, birch and alder seeds, and plenty of feeder seed.
It's brown and heavily streaked with a thin, pointed bill and flashes of yellow in the wings and tail. Males and females look similar, though some males show more yellow.
The Pine Siskin call is a rising, buzzy zreeeee, like someone slowly zipping up a jacket, plus a scratchy twitter from flocks.
Siskins nest in the Black Hills and wander across the rest of the state in irruption years. In one winter in Brandon, their numbers grew to 50 or more and outnumbered the goldfinches.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips
16. Redpoll
- Family – Fringillidae
- Species – Acanthis flammea
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Irruptive Species
If you learned it as the Common Redpoll or the Hoary Redpoll, the American Ornithological Society lumped them into one species, the Redpoll, in 2024. It's a tiny Arctic finch that eats birch and alder seeds and comes to feeders in big, twitchy flocks during irruption years.
It's streaky brown with a red cap, a black chin, and a stubby yellow bill. Males have a rosy-pink wash on the breast, while females are streakier with little or no pink. Some individuals are much paler and frostier, which is where the old Hoary name came from.
The Redpoll call is a dry, rattling chit-chit-chit and a buzzy, rising zweee.
Redpolls are irregular in South Dakota, common one winter and missing the next. In Brandon, they visited a yard only three times in 24 years before a big 2013 irruption, so if they show up at yours, enjoy it.
Feeder favorites: nyjer, sunflower chips
17. Dark-eyed Junco
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Junco hyemalis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor (resident in the Black Hills)
The Dark-eyed Junco is the "snowbird," and in much of South Dakota its arrival is the unofficial start of winter. It's a ground-feeding sparrow that eats weed and grass seeds, and it hops around under feeders picking up what everyone else spilled.
South Dakota gets a sampler pack of junco forms. Slate-colored Juncos (gray with a white belly) are the most common in the east, Oregon and Pink-sided types (with a dark hood and brown or pinkish sides) show up mainly in the west, and the White-winged Junco, with white wing bars, nests in the Black Hills. In every form, males are crisper and darker, and females are browner and softer.
The Dark-eyed Junco call is a sharp tik or smack, plus a twittering in flight that flashes the white outer tail feathers.
Look for them statewide in brushy edges, shelterbelts, and backyards, almost always on the ground.
Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn, sunflower chips scattered on the ground
18. American Tree Sparrow
- Family – Passerellidae
- Species – Spizelloides arborea
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The American Tree Sparrow nests on the tundra and spends the winter in places like South Dakota, which it apparently considers the tropics. Despite the name, it feeds mostly on the ground, eating weed and grass seeds.
Look for a rusty cap, a rusty line behind the eye, a gray face, a two-toned bill (dark above, yellow below), and a dark smudge in the middle of a plain gray breast. Males and females look alike.
The American Tree Sparrow call is a high, thin tseet, and flocks give a soft, musical twitter.
It's found statewide in weedy fields, roadside ditches, shelterbelts, and backyards with brush piles.
Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn scattered on the ground
19. House Sparrow
- Family – Passeridae
- Species – Passer domesticus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (Non-Native Species)
The House Sparrow was brought over from Europe in the 1800s and now lives anywhere people do, from Sioux Falls to the smallest grain-elevator town. It eats grain, seeds, and scraps.
Males have a gray crown, chestnut nape, black bib, and white cheeks. Females are plain buffy brown with a pale stripe behind the eye.
The House Sparrow call is a constant, cheerful cheep, often from a whole flock at once.
It's found statewide around towns, farms, and livestock yards, and it's often the most common bird at winter feeders.
Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn, mixed seed
20. European Starling
- Family – Sturnidae
- Species – Sturnus vulgaris
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (Non-Native Species)
The European Starling is another European import, and it's one of the toughest birds on the prairie. It eats insects, waste grain, fruit, and suet, often in big noisy flocks around feedlots.
In winter, starlings are glossy black covered in white spots, with a dark bill. By spring the spots wear off and the bill turns yellow. Males and females look very similar.
The European Starling call is a mix of whistles, clicks, rattles, and imitations of other birds (and sometimes car alarms).
Look for them statewide around towns, cattle yards, and farmsteads.
Feeder favorites: suet, cracked corn
21. Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Family – Columbidae
- Species – Streptopelia decaocto
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (Non-Native Species)
The Eurasian Collared-Dove spread across North America after being introduced in the Bahamas in the 1970s, and it's now a fixture in South Dakota's small towns. It eats grain and seeds, often on the ground or on platform feeders.
It's pale sandy gray with a thin black half-collar on the back of the neck and a square-tipped tail. Males and females look alike.
The Eurasian Collared-Dove call is a three-part coo-COO-coo, repeated over and over from a rooftop or power line.
Look for it statewide in towns and farmsteads, especially near grain bins.
Feeder favorites: millet, cracked corn on the ground or a platform feeder
22. Cedar Waxwing
- Family – Bombycillidae
- Species – Bombycilla cedrorum
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Nomadic
The Cedar Waxwing is a sleek, crested fruit eater that wanders wherever the berries are. In winter it eats juniper berries, crabapples, and other fruit that hangs on the branch.
It's soft brown and gray with a black mask, a pale yellow belly, a yellow tail tip, and waxy red tips on the wing feathers. Males and females look alike.
The Cedar Waxwing call is a very high, thin sree, and a flock sounds like a cloud of tiny whistles.
Look for flocks statewide wherever there are fruiting trees and junipers. Around Pierre, they can be abundant in the cedar-lined river areas, sometimes with a few Bohemian Waxwings mixed in.
Feeder favorites: they don't eat seed, but fruiting trees and a heated bird bath will bring them in
23. Bohemian Waxwing
- Family – Bombycillidae
- Species – Bombycilla garrulus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Irruptive Species
The Bohemian Waxwing is the Cedar Waxwing's northern counterpart, and it's on a lot of South Dakota birders' winter wish lists. It eats fruit, mostly juniper berries, mountain ash, and crabapples.
It's grayer and a bit larger than a Cedar Waxwing, with rusty undertail feathers, a gray belly, and white and yellow markings on the wings. Males and females look alike.
The Bohemian Waxwing call is a buzzy, trilled zeeee, lower and rougher than the Cedar Waxwing's.
According to South Dakota Birds and Birding, it's an irregular winter visitor that's most numerous in the Black Hills and much less common in the southeast, often in mixed flocks with Cedar Waxwings.
Feeder favorites: fruiting trees and shrubs, plus water
24. Townsend's Solitaire
- Family – Turdidae
- Species – Myadestes townsendi
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor (resident in the Black Hills)
The Townsend's Solitaire is a slim gray thrush that spends the winter guarding a juniper tree like it's the last parking spot at the mall. It eats insects in summer but lives almost entirely on juniper berries in winter.
It's gray with a bold white eye ring, buffy patches in the wings that show in flight, and white outer tail feathers. Males and females look alike.
The Townsend's Solitaire call is a single, clear, whistled heeh, repeated from the top of a cedar, and it's the easiest way to find one.
It's an uncommon year-round resident in the Black Hills and an uncommon winter visitor elsewhere, mostly in conifer plantings, shelterbelts, and parks with junipers. Around Pierre, the cedars near the Missouri River are a reliable spot.
25. American Robin
- Family – Turdidae
- Species – Turdus migratorius
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Partial Migrant
The American Robin is the bird everyone thinks leaves for the winter, and it's the bird that proves everyone wrong. Wintering robins trade worms for berries and travel in flocks, usually in fruiting trees rather than on lawns.
It has a gray-brown back and orange breast. Males have a darker, almost black head and a richer orange breast, while females are paler overall.
The American Robin call in winter is a sharp tut-tut and a high, thin seeee from flocks, not the full cheery song.
Robins winter in South Dakota in cedar-lined river valleys, towns, and shelterbelts. One central South Dakota birder has noted winter flocks of 100 or more in recent years.
Feeder favorites: chopped fruit, berries, and water
26. Horned Lark
- Family – Alaudidae
- Species – Eremophila alpestris
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident / Winter Migrant
The Horned Lark is the prairie bird that flies up from the gravel shoulder every time you drive a back road in winter. It eats seeds and waste grain on bare ground.
It's sandy brown above with a black mask, a black chest band, a yellow or whitish face, and tiny feather "horns" on the head. Males have bolder black markings and more obvious horns, while females are duller.
The Horned Lark call is a thin, high tsee-ti, often given as flocks flush.
It's found statewide on open farmland, prairie, and road edges, especially after snow, often with Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs.
27. Snow Bunting
- Family – Calcariidae
- Species – Plectrophenax nivalis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Snow Bunting nests in the high Arctic and treats South Dakota as its winter getaway. It eats weed and grass seeds on open ground.
In winter, it's pale brown and white with big white wing patches that make a flock look like blowing snow when it takes off. Males have more white in the wings, while females are browner. (The crisp black-and-white summer plumage is something you'll only see in photos here.)
The Snow Bunting call is a soft, rolling chirp and a short tew, given by flocks in flight.
According to South Dakota Birds and Birding, it's a regular winter visitor statewide, best seen after a fresh snowfall along road edges with Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs.
28. Lapland Longspur
- Family – Calcariidae
- Species – Calcarius lapponicus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Lapland Longspur is an Arctic sparrow-like bird named for the extra-long claw on its hind toe, which is the bird version of snow tires. It eats seeds in open fields.
In winter, it's streaky brown with a rusty patch on the wings and a pale belly. Males show a faint black bib and chestnut on the back of the neck, while females are plainer.
The Lapland Longspur call is a dry rattle, tiki-tiki-tik, and a soft, whistled teew in flight.
Look for it statewide in open farmland, grasslands, and road edges, often in big flocks mixed with Horned Larks and Snow Buntings. The Fort Pierre National Grassland is a classic winter spot.
29. Bald Eagle
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird & Winter Migrant
The Bald Eagle is a fish-eating raptor that also takes ducks and scavenges carrion, and in winter it goes wherever there's open water. In South Dakota, that means the Missouri River dams.
Adults have a dark brown body, a white head and tail, and a huge yellow bill. Young birds are mottled brown and white and take about five years to get the full look. Males and females look alike, but females are bigger.
The Bald Eagle call is a series of high, weak, chittering whistles, which is not the scream Hollywood dubs over it (that's usually a Red-tailed Hawk).
The water below Oahe Dam near Pierre doesn't freeze, and Audubon notes that dozens of Bald Eagles may roost and feed along the river there in winter. Look below the other Missouri River dams too, including Fort Randall and Gavins Point near Yankton, and at Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge.
30. Golden Eagle
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Aquila chrysaetos
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird (mostly western South Dakota)
The Golden Eagle is the big raptor of West River, hunting jackrabbits, prairie dogs, and grouse across the grasslands. It also scavenges carrion in winter.
It's dark brown all over with a golden wash on the back of the head and neck. Young birds have white patches in the wings and a white tail base with a dark band. Males and females look alike, but females are larger.
The Golden Eagle call is rarely heard, usually just a few weak yelps or whistles.
Look for it in western and central South Dakota, over the grasslands, Badlands, and Black Hills edges. Audubon lists it among the winter raptors birders seek on the Fort Pierre National Grassland.
31. Rough-legged Hawk
- Family – Accipitridae
- Species – Buteo lagopus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Rough-legged Hawk nests on the Arctic tundra and spends the winter hunting mice and voles over South Dakota's fields. It often hovers in the wind before dropping on prey, which takes more core strength than I'll ever have.
It's named for the feathers that run all the way down its legs to the toes. Light birds have a pale head, dark wrist patches under the wings, and a white tail with a dark band near the tip, and there's also an all-dark form. Females and young birds tend to show a solid dark belly patch, while adult males are often darker on the chest and have several tail bands.
The Rough-legged Hawk call is a downslurred, catlike scream, but it's mostly quiet in winter.
It's found statewide over open country. On one winter day around Presho and the Fort Pierre National Grassland, a local birder counted 32 of them, more than any other raptor that day.
32. Northern Shrike
- Family – Laniidae
- Species – Lanius borealis
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime
- Diurnal
- Winter Migrant / Visitor
The Northern Shrike is a songbird that hunts like a hawk, catching small birds and rodents and sometimes stashing them on thorns or barbed wire for later. (Nature's version of meal prep, but metal.)
It's gray above and pale below with a black mask, black wings and tail with white patches, and a hooked bill. Males and females look similar, though females and young birds are browner with faint barring below.
The Northern Shrike call is usually silent in winter, but it sometimes gives harsh, scolding notes and even sings on mild late-winter days.
Look for it statewide, perched on a treetop or utility wire in open country, shelterbelts, and the Fort Pierre National Grassland. It sometimes shows up near feeders, and not for the seed.
33. Great Horned Owl
- Family – Strigidae
- Species – Bubo virginianus
- Primary Activity Time – Night, Dusk
- Nocturnal
- Resident South Dakota Bird
The Great Horned Owl is the big, tufted owl that hunts everything from mice to rabbits to skunks. It nests earlier than almost any other bird in South Dakota, often sitting on eggs in late winter while snow is still on the ground.
It's mottled gray-brown with prominent ear tufts, big yellow eyes, and a white throat patch. Males and females look alike, but females are larger. Surprisingly, the smaller male has the deeper voice.
The Great Horned Owl call is a deep, soft hoo-h'HOO-hoo-hoo, and winter is the best time to hear pairs hooting back and forth.
It's found statewide in shelterbelts, river woodlands, farmsteads, and town parks. Listen at dusk in December through February.
34. Snowy Owl
- Family – Strigidae
- Species – Bubo scandiacus
- Primary Activity Time – Daytime, Dusk
- Diurnal / Crepuscular
- Irruptive Species (uncommon, open country)
The Snowy Owl is the Arctic owl that shows up in South Dakota some winters, sitting on a fence post or hay bale like it owns the place. It hunts mostly small mammals and sometimes birds, and unlike most owls, it often hunts in daylight.
Adult males are nearly pure white, while females and young birds are white with heavy dark barring.
The Snowy Owl call is rarely heard in winter. They're mostly silent away from the breeding grounds.
Look for them in wide-open farmland and grasslands. They're unpredictable, so check local reports, and give them plenty of space when you find one.
Where to Find Birds of South Dakota in Winter
Feeders bring the backyard crowd to you, but some of the best South Dakota birds in winter need a short drive and a full thermos.
Pierre and Oahe Dam. The open water below the dam attracts gulls, waterfowl, and Bald Eagles all winter. South Dakota Birds and Birding calls the Pierre and Oahe Dam area a favorite winter location, with feeders at Farm Island Recreation Area, gulls at LaFramboise Island, and Townsend's Solitaires in the cedars. Rare gulls like Glaucous and Iceland Gulls have turned up here.
Fort Pierre National Grassland. About 15 miles south of Pierre, this is the place for winter raptors, Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings, and Northern Shrikes, with a chance at a Gyrfalcon in some years.
The Black Hills. For Bohemian Waxwings, Townsend's Solitaires, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, and White-winged Juncos.
Sioux Falls and the Big Sioux River. The best area for cardinals, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and other East River feeder birds.
A quick note on owls: the cedars near Pierre hold wintering Northern Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls, but roosting owls are easily stressed, and a flushed owl burns energy it can't spare in January. Keep your distance, skip the playback, and don't share exact roost locations publicly. The owl matters more than the photo.
If you're feeding birds this winter, water matters just as much as seed when everything's frozen solid. Our guide to How to Keep a Bird Bath From Freezing in Winter (9 Easy Ways) covers the options, and you don't need to buy anything fancy to start.
South Dakota Winter Birds FAQ
What birds stay in South Dakota in the winter?
Year-round residents like the Ring-necked Pheasant, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, Black-billed Magpie, and Great Horned Owl stay put. They're joined by winter visitors from the north, including Dark-eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, and Rough-legged Hawks, plus irruptive finches and owls in some years. For the state next door, see our guide to winter birds in Minnesota.
What are the most common South Dakota birds at feeders in winter?
The usual crowd at South Dakota feeders in winter is chickadees, juncos, House Sparrows, House Finches, American Goldfinches, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and Blue Jays, with cardinals and Red-bellied Woodpeckers in the east. Pine Siskins and Redpolls join them in irruption years.
What is the state bird of South Dakota, and does it stay in winter?
The Ring-necked Pheasant has been South Dakota's state bird since 1943. It's a year-round resident, and in winter it shelters in cattail sloughs, shelterbelts, and weedy field edges.
Where can you see Bald Eagles in South Dakota in winter?
Head to the open water below the Missouri River dams, especially Oahe Dam near Pierre, Fort Randall Dam, and Gavins Point Dam near Yankton. Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge is another good bet.
What owls can you see in South Dakota in winter?
Great Horned Owls live here year-round and start nesting in late winter. Snowy Owls show up in open country in some winters, and Northern Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls roost in dense cedars.
What should I feed birds of South Dakota in winter?
Black oil sunflower attracts the widest range of birds. Add suet for woodpeckers and nuthatches, nyjer for finches, and millet or cracked corn on the ground for juncos, sparrows, and pheasants. Never put out bread, which fills birds up without giving them the nutrition they need to survive a cold night.
What Birds Have You Seen in South Dakota?
Share your sightings on the Sparkbird App. Whether it's a pheasant in the shelterbelt or a Snowy Owl on a hay bale, other birders in South Dakota want to know about it, and you might just find someone to go birding with.
And if your Townsend's Solitaire won't share its juniper with anyone, don't take it personally. It doesn't share with anyone.
Happy Birding.
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