Most commonly seen birds in South Dakota

Written by:
March 14, 2023
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Most commonly seen birds in South Dakota

Stacker compiled a list of the most common birds seen near feeders in South Dakota using data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch. Birds are ranked by the percent of sites visited from Feb 18-Mar 3. Ties are broken by the average group size when seen, any further ties were not broken. Data was collected at 21 count sites in South Dakota. States with less than 10 count sites were not included in rankings for each bird.

Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project where participants collect data on birds at their feeders, was founded in Ontario by Erica Dunn and the Long Point Bird Observatory in 1976. The project partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology after 10 years to scale the project across the U.S. and Canada and now has over 20,000 participants.

The data Project FeederWatch collects is used by scientists to understand trends in bird populations. If you would like to participate as a FeederWatcher you can learn more about the project here.

Read on to see which birds are most commonly seen in your state.

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#30. Sharp-shinned Hawk (tie)

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 1.0
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Idaho: 12%
--- #2. Nevada: 11%
--- #3. Rhode Island: 10%
--- #4. Oklahoma: 7%
--- #4. New Mexico: 7%
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#30. Red-tailed Hawk (tie)

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 1.0
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Connecticut: 10%
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 10%
--- #3. Oklahoma: 7%
--- #3. Illinois: 7%
--- #5. Missouri: 6%
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#30. Bald Eagle

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 1.0
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. South Dakota: 5%
--- #2. Alaska: 3%
--- #2. Nebraska: 3%
--- #4. South Carolina: 1%
--- #4. Florida: 1%
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#29. Cooper's Hawk

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 1.03
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nevada: 32%
--- #2. Arizona: 26%
--- #3. New Mexico: 18%
--- #4. Illinois: 17%
--- #4. Mississippi: 17%
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#28. Great Horned Owl

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 1.13
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. South Dakota: 5%
--- #2. Oklahoma: 3%
--- #2. Utah: 3%
--- #4. Idaho: 2%
--- #5. California: 1%
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#27. Ring-necked Pheasant

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 1.9
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Minnesota: 5%
--- #1. South Dakota: 5%
--- #1. Idaho: 5%
--- #4. Montana: 4%
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#26. Harris's Sparrow

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 2.11
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Kansas: 31%
--- #2. Oklahoma: 24%
--- #3. Nebraska: 15%
--- #4. Iowa: 8%
--- #5. Texas: 6%
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#25. Mourning Dove

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 2.34
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 100%
--- #2. New Jersey: 90%
--- #3. West Virginia: 88%
--- #3. Delaware: 88%
--- #5. Rhode Island: 87%
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#24. Mallard

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 5%
- Average group size: 2.53
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Mississippi: 8%
--- #2. Utah: 7%
--- #2. Rhode Island: 7%
--- #4. South Dakota: 5%
--- #4. Louisiana: 5%
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#23. Brown Creeper

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 10%
- Average group size: 1.09
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 15%
--- #2. New Hampshire: 13%
--- #3. Washington, D.C.: 10%
--- #3. Oklahoma: 10%
--- #3. South Dakota: 10%
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#22. Red-winged Blackbird

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 10%
- Average group size: 1.7
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Delaware: 60%
--- #2. New Jersey: 56%
--- #3. New York: 48%
--- #4. Louisiana: 45%
--- #4. Illinois: 45%
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#21. Cedar Waxwing

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 10%
- Average group size: 4.79
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Mississippi: 25%
--- #2. Texas: 20%
--- #3. Georgia: 19%
--- #4. Louisiana: 15%
--- #5. South Carolina: 12%
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#20. American Crow

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 14%
- Average group size: 1.96
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 49%
--- #2. Oklahoma: 45%
--- #3. North Carolina: 39%
--- #4. Vermont: 37%
--- #5. Georgia: 34%
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#19. Purple Finch

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 14%
- Average group size: 3.23
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Mississippi: 50%
--- #2. Arkansas: 32%
--- #3. Alabama: 27%
--- #4. North Carolina: 25%
--- #5. Missouri: 24%
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#18. Rock Pigeon

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 14%
- Average group size: 7.23
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Nevada: 32%
--- #2. Arizona: 18%
--- #3. New Mexico: 16%
--- #4. South Dakota: 14%
--- #5. Colorado: 6%
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#17. American Robin

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 19%
- Average group size: 2.21
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 70%
--- #2. Arkansas: 64%
--- #3. Tennessee: 59%
--- #4. Nevada: 58%
--- #5. Oklahoma: 55%
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#16. American Tree Sparrow

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 19%
- Average group size: 3.28
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Wisconsin: 25%
--- #2. Iowa: 23%
--- #2. Vermont: 23%
--- #4. Wyoming: 22%
--- #4. Michigan: 22%
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#15. Red-bellied Woodpecker

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 38%
- Average group size: 1.04
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. West Virginia: 88%
--- #2. New Jersey: 86%
--- #3. Arkansas: 82%
--- #4. Connecticut: 80%
--- #5. Ohio: 78%
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#14. Northern Flicker

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 38%
- Average group size: 1.41
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Utah: 79%
--- #2. Colorado: 66%
--- #3. Montana: 65%
--- #4. Washington: 63%
--- #4. Nevada: 63%
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#13. Northern Cardinal

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 43%
- Average group size: 2.12
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 100%
--- #2. Arkansas: 96%
--- #3. Maryland: 95%
--- #3. South Carolina: 95%
--- #5. West Virginia: 93%
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#12. American Goldfinch

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 48%
- Average group size: 5.07
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. West Virginia: 77%
--- #2. Oklahoma: 76%
--- #2. Wisconsin: 76%
--- #4. Michigan: 74%
--- #5. Missouri: 73%
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#11. Hairy Woodpecker

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 52%
- Average group size: 1.27
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. New Hampshire: 69%
--- #2. Maine: 67%
--- #3. Minnesota: 63%
--- #3. Vermont: 63%
--- #5. Connecticut: 61%
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#10. Red-breasted Nuthatch

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 57%
- Average group size: 1.32
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 69%
--- #2. South Dakota: 57%
--- #3. Alaska: 55%
--- #4. Montana: 54%
--- #5. Oregon: 45%
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#9. White-breasted Nuthatch

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 57%
- Average group size: 1.4
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. West Virginia: 93%
--- #2. Maine: 85%
--- #2. Vermont: 85%
--- #4. Connecticut: 84%
--- #4. Massachusetts: 84%
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#8. European Starling

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 57%
- Average group size: 4.0
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 90%
--- #2. Nebraska: 67%
--- #3. Indiana: 66%
--- #4. Ohio: 62%
--- #4. Missouri: 62%
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#7. Blue Jay

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 62%
- Average group size: 3.41
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Rhode Island: 87%
--- #2. Massachusetts: 77%
--- #3. New Jersey: 76%
--- #4. Nebraska: 73%
--- #4. Ohio: 73%
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#6. Eurasian Collared-Dove

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 67%
- Average group size: 4.01
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Utah: 69%
--- #2. South Dakota: 67%
--- #3. Wyoming: 61%
--- #4. Idaho: 48%
--- #4. Colorado: 48%
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#5. House Sparrow

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 71%
- Average group size: 11.55
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 100%
--- #2. Iowa: 88%
--- #3. Illinois: 87%
--- #4. Nebraska: 79%
--- #5. Indiana: 74%
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#4. Downy Woodpecker

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 76%
- Average group size: 1.76
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Washington, D.C.: 90%
--- #2. Minnesota: 89%
--- #2. Arkansas: 89%
--- #4. Missouri: 88%
--- #4. Iowa: 88%
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#3. Black-capped Chickadee

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 81%
- Average group size: 1.86
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Maine: 97%
--- #2. Minnesota: 96%
--- #3. Vermont: 94%
--- #4. Rhode Island: 93%
--- #5. New Hampshire: 92%
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#2. House Finch

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 81%
- Average group size: 4.89
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Utah: 97%
--- #2. Arizona: 94%
--- #3. New Mexico: 90%
--- #4. Ohio: 87%
--- #5. Colorado: 86%
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#1. Dark-eyed Junco

- Sites visited Feb 18-Mar 3: 81%
- Average group size: 5.39
- States with the highest percent of sites visited
--- #1. Oregon: 96%
--- #2. Washington: 94%
--- #3. New Jersey: 93%
--- #3. Rhode Island: 93%
--- #5. Connecticut: 92%

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