Learn the birds of South Dakota
72 birds in 13 short units, from your backyard to prairie potholes, the Black Hills, badlands and the Missouri River. By sight, sound and story, with real photos and recordings.
- Free, no ads
- No sign-up
- Phone, tablet or computer
A few you’ll meet first
Wild TurkeyPhoto: Judy Gallagher · CC BY · iNaturalist 
Red-winged BlackbirdPhoto: unknown · CC0 · iNaturalist 
Northern Yellow WarblerPhoto: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
MallardPhoto: This picture was realized by Richard Bartz by using a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
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The course
Each unit is a small group of birds, easiest first, with look-alikes kept apart. Meet them, learn them by sight, sound and story, then finish with a Field test. The units get harder as you go.
South Dakota Essentials
- Unit 1: Gentle startWild Turkey, Western Meadowlark, American Robin, Barn Swallow, Eastern Kingbird and Great Blue Heron
- Unit 2: Gentle startRed-winged Blackbird, Mountain Bluebird, Common Grackle, Black-billed Magpie and Canada Goose
- Unit 3: Gentle startNorthern Yellow Warbler, American White Pelican, American Goldfinch, Blue-winged Teal and Bald Eagle
- Unit 4: Building upMallard, Red-tailed Hawk, Cliff Swallow and Burrowing Owl
- Unit 5: Building upTurkey Vulture, Mourning Dove, Ring-billed Gull, Northern Flicker, Double-crested Cormorant and Chipping Sparrow
- Unit 6: Building upRed-headed Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Killdeer, Ring-necked Pheasant and Dark-eyed Junco
- Unit 7: SteadyHouse Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Shoveler and Spotted Towhee
Beyond the Basics
- Unit 8: SteadyNorthern Cardinal, Cedar Waxwing, Black-capped Chickadee, American Coot, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Rock Wren and House Finch
- Unit 9: SteadyWestern Kingbird, Western Grebe, Blue Jay, Common Merganser and Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Unit 10: SteadyGadwall, Horned Lark, Baltimore Oriole, White-breasted Nuthatch, Common Yellowthroat and Gray Catbird
- Unit 11: HardestCommon Goldeneye, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Song Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Dickcissel, European Starling and Upland Sandpiper
- Unit 12: HardestLark Sparrow, Northern House Wren, Franklin’s Gull, American Avocet and Northern Pintail
- Unit 13: HardestAmerican Kestrel, Northern Harrier, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Redhead, Osprey and Brown Thrasher