Birds in North Dakota

As a birding destination, North Dakota is quite underrated. Yet, bird watchers who had the opportunity of visiting in spring or in late summer, know how special the state is for birding. The ease of access along with less crowd and grasslands that lets the birds flourish makes birding quite fun in North Dakota.

What Is The State Bird Of North Dakota?

North Dakota chose the Western Meadowlark as its state bird in 1947. This small species with a mostly yellow plumage tends to search for food on the ground or even underneath the soil, settling on weed seeds, snails, spiders, and caterpillars. They also produce 7-10 note melodies that make it easy to spot the species.

What Are the Top Bird Watching Spots In North Dakota?

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, history and beauty, the park has both. Two units separate the park and both the units have something unique to offer. Both have different species for you to explore. In here, you can find Lazuli Bunting, Mountain Bluebird, Prairie Falcon, Sprague’s Pipit, and Bullock’s Oriole.

Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge has a beauty that reminds you of a time long gone. Some areas in the refuge make it too easy to imagine you have travelled back a century, returned to an America where the grassland of America had been wild. The refuge will show you some Willet, Nelson’s Sparrow, Pied-billed Grebe and Sora.

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How Many Birds Can You See in North Dakota?

North Dakota might not have the largest number of bird species but a count of 392 isn’t bad either. And the state does make up for its by having some pretty, pleasing birds that any birdwatcher would want a glimpse of. Grand Forks, Cass, Burleigh, Stutsman and Ward have the excellent counts of 327, 314, 305, 301 and 295.

Arrowwood NWR is a hotspot for birdwatchers with about 235 species happily visiting the area. Des Lacs NWR and Kellys Slough NWR are also well known hotspots with 233 and 232 species around the area.

Top Birds To See In North Dakota

Sprague’s pipit are small songbirds. They have a buffy plumage and are mostly unremarkable at first glance. However, their excellent, melodic call and the fast, fluttering, rapid wings make them stand out more than others.

Veery belongs to the Thrush family. Also known as Wilson’s Thrush and Tawny Thrush, Veerys are round, with light brown colored top body and head. Their chest is a pretty, clean white though. You will mostly find them on ground or on tree barks.

Common Birds To See In North Dakota

Fargo and Bismarck are cities of North Dakota, always visited by Western Meadowlark and Lark buntings. Even red headed woodpeckers are common in these cities. Brewer’s sparrows also tend to lurk around in the backyard of the citizens.

Final Thoughts

The grasslands usually signify North Dakota. However, there are enough wetlands for waterbirds to prosper. North Dakota just needs more travelers to discover even deeper parts of it.