South Dakota Ornithologists' Union

05/04/2026

Adult Double-crested Cormorants only have the prominent crests above each eye during the breeding season. Perhaps the most striking attribute of their breeding attire is their torquoise jewel-like eyes. They are really quite remarkable.

Brookings County, South Dakota.
03 May 2026

03/14/2026

I had fun early this morning at a nearby wetland. I was fortunate to watch the antics of a pair of subadult (2-3 year-old) bald eagles and their aerial acrobatics. The male (smaller of the pair) was agressively trying to lock talons with the female, but she wasn't having any of it. Occasionally she seemed to get frustrated enough to do a barrel roll and extend her talons to fend him off. It was a great show! Sorry for the poor quality of many of these photos - they were taken at quite a distance and most were backlit from having to shoot into the morning sky.
13 March 2026, Brookings County, SD

02/19/2026

I tool a drive around southwestern Brookings County this afternoon looking looking for what ever birds I could find in today's weather including stiff winds with 50+ mph gusts! I did not see many species but found a flock of 3000+ Lapland Longspurs (my estimate) foraging in corn stubble and an adjacent pasture. Some of them occasionally landed on the gravel road separating the two fields. I sat for 1/2 hour or more watching the activity of this huge flock. Through the winter, the longspurs often mix with smaller groups of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings; but as spring approaches they start gathering in very large single-species flocks in preparation for their journey northward to their open tundra nesting habitats. I have often seen them during March in long undulating flocks foraging in ag fields. Looking through my records from the last 20+ years; this is the earliest I've seen one of these large pre-migration flocks.

I also drove by Lake Campbell to see if there was a large group of Bald Eagles that was yesterday reported foraging on winter-killed fish. I did not find the eagles, but was surprised to find the lake starting the spring break-up of the winter ice cover.

Brookings County - 18 February 2026

11/24/2025

It was nice to see this Pacific Loon with the Common Loons at Lewis and Clark Lake near Yankton, South Dakota.
11-18-25

08/29/2025

08/24/2025

Thank you to Dale Nordlie for this excellent cover photo of the rare Mississippi Kite! It has a nest with young in southeast Sioux Falls
8/23/2025

02/07/2025

A life bird for me today!! This doesn't happen often any more! A friend informed me of a group of Eurasian Tree Sparrows hanging out near a feeder at a farm in Grant County, South Dakota. This species was introduced to North America in 1870 when 20 birds were released in St. Louis, Missouri. The introduction of House Sparrows (some refer to as English Sparrows) happened at the same general time in New York. The House Sparrows spread like wildfire across the continent, but the Eurasian Tree Sparrows slowly established and spread more locally in the eastern Missouri and western Illinois area. They have maintained their populations and have been slowly spreading to the point where we have a few sightings each year here in South Dakota.
Regardless, the farmer was kind enough to let me come and sit to look for it (inside in the sun room no less!). It didn't take long and 3 of them showed themselves mixed in with 40+ House Sparrows (they are in the same Genus). I even got coffee and cake out of the deal! 06 Feb 2025, Grant County, South Dakota.

01/03/2025

Barrow’s Goldeneye
1-2-25
Fort Randall Dam
Pickstown, South Dakota