Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Sturgis, South Dakota
A total of 188 bird species have been observed in the Fort Meade Recreation Area and Bear Butte State Park. One hundred seventeen species are known to nest in the area. In addition, many species rely on the area's mix of pine woods, hardwood draws, grasslands and wetlands for spring and fall stopovers.
The history of the Fort Meade Recreation Area and Bear Butte State Park is closely tied to the great variety of natural resources present. Portions of the area have long been used by Native American for camp sites and religious observances. Early settlers also recognized the abundant resources of the area. The discovery of gold and silver west of the area resulted in a great influx of people and the subsequent establishment of a military post that later became known as Fort Meade.
The Fort Meade Recreation Area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management under the concept of multiple use. The area supports a wide variety of uses including recreational activities such as birdwatching, hunting and camping; livestock grazing; timber production and wildlife habitat.
Bear Butte State Park is managed by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department. The park provides opportunities for hiking, fishing and observance of cultural resources. In addition the park provides one of the greatest views in the State of South Dakota. The park continues to be the site of Native American religious observances. The park is also an outdoor laboratory for ecological and geological studies.
The occurrence of bird species in the area is constantly changing. Visiting birders are asked to inform Bureau of Land Management or Bear Butte State Park personnel of any species observed in the area that are not on the list, or if the status of a species should be changed.
R = Resident W = Winter M = Migrant S = Summer a = abundant c = common u = uncommon r = rare Common names are from American Ornithologist's Union
LOONS & GREBES ___Common Loon M u ___Western Grebe R S u ___Horned Grebe R S c ___Eared Grebe R S c ___Pied-billed Grebe R S c
PELICANS & CORMORANT ___American White Pelican R S c ___Double-crested Cormorant M c
GEESE & DUCKS ___Canada Goose R S c ___Greater White-fronted Goose M r ___Snow Goose M u ___Mallard R c ___Northern Pintail R S c ___Gadwall R S c ___American Wigeon M c ___Northern Shoveler R S c ___Blue-winged Teal R S c ___Cinnamon Teal M u ___Green-winged Teal M c ___Wood Duck R S u ___Redhead M c ___Canvasback M u ___Ring-necked Duck M u ___Lesser Scaup M c ___Common Goldeneye M u ___Bufflehead M c ___Old Squaw M r ___White-winged Scoter M r ___Hooded Merganser M u ___Red-breasted Merganser M u ___Common Merganser M c ___Ruddy Duck R S c
VULTURES, HAWKS & EAGLES ___Turkey Vulture R S c ___Cooper's Hawk R S c ___Sharp-shinned Hawk R S c ___Northern Harrier R S c ___Rough-legged Hawk R W c ___Rough-legged Hawk R W c ___Ferruginous Hawk R S c ___Red-tailed Hawk R S c ___Swainson's Hawk R S c ___Broad-winged Hawk M r ___Bald Eagle R W c ___Golden Eagle R c ___Osprey R S u ___Prairie Falcon R c ___American Kestrel R S c ___Merlin R S u
GALLINACEOUS BIRDS ___Wild Turkey R c ___Sharp-tailed Grouse R c ___Ring-necked Pheasant R u ___Gray Partridge R u
HERONS ___Great Blue Heron R S c ___Green-backed Heron S r ___Yellow-crowned Night Heron S r
CRANES, RAILS & COOTS ___Sandhill Crane M c ___Sora Rail R S u ___American Coot R S c
SHOREBIRDS ___American Avocet M c ___Black-bellied Plover M r ___Piping Plover M r ___Killdeer R S c ___Marbled Godwit M r ___Long-billed Curlew R S c ___Greater Yellowlegs M c ___Lesser Yellowlegs M c ___Solitary Sandpiper M u ___Upland Sandpiper R S c ___Willet M c ___Spotted Sandpiper R S c ___Short-billed Dowitcher M c ___Long-billed Dowitcher M c ___Wilson's Phalarope R S c ___Common Snipe R S c ___Least Sandpiper M u ___Semi-palmated Sandpiper M r ___Western Sandpiper M u
GULLS & TERNS ___Ring-billed Gull M u ___Franklin Gull M u ___Common Tern M r ___Forster's Tern M u ___Black Tern M u
PIGEONS & DOVES ___Rock Dove R c ___Mourning Dove R S c
CUCKOOS ___Yellow-billed Cuckoo R S u ___Black-billed Cuckoo R S u
OWLS ___Screech Owl R c ___Great Horned Owl R c ___Long-eared Owl M u ___Short-eared Owl M u ___Snowy Owl M r ___Northern Saw-whet R u
GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS & KINGFISHERS ___Common Nighthawk R S c ___Chimney Swift R S c ___Belted Kingfisher R S c
WOODPECKERS ___Lewis' Woodpecker R u ___Red-headed Woodpecker R S a ___Downy Woodpecker R c ___Hairy Woodpecker R c ___Northern Flicker R a
FLYCATCHERS ___Eastern Kingbird R S a ___Western Kingbird R S c ___Say's Phoebe R S c ___Least Flycatcher M u ___Western Flycatcher M c ___Traill's Flycatcher M u ___Western Wood Pewee R S c ___Olive-sided Flycatcher R S u
LARK ___Horned Lark R a
SWALLOWS ___Barn Swallow R S c ___Cliff Swallow R S r ___Violet-green Swallow R S u ___Tree Swallow R S c ___Bank Swallow R S r ___Northern Rough-winged Swallow R S u
CORVIDS ___Blue Jay R a ___Gray Jay R r ___Black-billed Magpie R c ___American Crow R a
CHICKADEE, NUTHATCHES & CREEPERS ___Black-capped Chickadee R a ___White-breasted Nuthatch R a ___Red-breasted Nuthatch R c ___Brown Creeper R c
WRENS ___House Wren R S a ___Rock Wren R S u ___Canyon Wren R S u ___Marsh Wren R S u
THRASHERS & THRUSHES ___Gray Catbird R S u ___Brown Thrasher R S c ___American Robin R a ___Townsend's Solitaire R u ___Veery R S u ___Eastern Bluebird R S u ___Mountain Bluebird R S c
KINGLET, PIPIT & WAXWINGS ___Ruby-crowned Kinglet R S c ___Water Pipit M c ___Bohemian Waxwing R W c ___Cedar Waxwing R W c
SHRIKES & STARLING ___Northern Shrike R W c ___Loggerhead Shrike R S c ___European Starling R a
VIREOS & WARBLERS ___Solitary Vireo R S c ___Red-eyed Vireo R S c ___Warbling Vireo R S c ___Black and White Warbler M u ___Orange-crowned Warbler M u ___Yellow Warbler R S c Yellow-rumped Warbler ___ Myrtle race R S c ___ Audubon race R S c ___Ovenbird R S u ___Common Yellow-throat R S c ___Yellow-breasted Chat R S c ___American Redstart R S u
WEAVER FINCH ___House Sparrow R a
BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES ___Bobolink R S u ___Western Meadowlark R S a ___Yellow-headed Blackbird R S c ___Red-winged Blackbird R S c ___Brewer's Blackbird R S u ___Common Grackle R S c ___Brown-headed Cowbird R S c ___Orchard Oriole R S c ___Northern Oriole R S c
TANAGERS, GROSBEAKS & ETC ___Western Tanager R S c ___Rose-breasted Grosbeak R S r ___Black-headed Grosbeak R S u ___Evening Grosbeak R a ___Blue Grosbeak R S r ___Indigo Bunting R S u ___Lazuli Bunting R S c ___Rosy Finch R W u ___Common Redpoll M W c ___Pine Siskin R a ___American Goldfinch R c ___Red Crossbill R c ___Rufous-sided Towhee R S c
SPARROWS & LONGSPURS ___Savannah Sparrow R S u ___Grasshopper Sparrow R S c ___Lark Bunting R S a ___Vesper Sparrow R S c ___Lark Sparrow R S a Junco, Dark-eyed ___ Slate-colored race R W a ___ White-winged race R W c ___ Oregon race R W u ___American Tree Sparrow R W c ___Chipping Sparrow R S c ___Clay-colored Sparrow R S c ___Field Sparrow R S c ___Harris' Sparrow M c ___White-crowned Sparrow M a ___White-throated Sparrow M u ___Song Sparrow R S c ___Chestnut-collared Longspur R S c
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
South Dakota Resource Area
310 Roundup Street
Belle Fourche, SD 57717
South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks
Division of Parks
Bear Butte State Park
Sturgis, SD 57785
This resource is based on the following source:
Northern Hills Birders Society. 1991. Birds of the Fort Meade Recreation
Area and Bear Butte State Park, South Dakota. Bureau of Land
Management and South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
Northern Hills Birders Society. 1991. Birds of the Fort Meade Recreation
Area and Bear Butte State Park, South Dakota. Bureau of Land
Management and South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks. Unpaginated.
Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govftmeade.htm
(Version 23FEB2001).
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r6/ftmeade.htm
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