Birds in South Dakota in September: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in South Dakota in September in our iNaturalist sample; 2 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in September

Western Meadowlark95 obs.

Mountain Bluebird90 obs.

Turkey Vulture82 obs.

Wild Turkey74 obs.

American Robin73 obs.

Northern Flicker70 obs.

Great Blue Heron62 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk62 obs.

Black-billed Magpie59 obs.

Bald Eagle48 obs.

Mourning Dove42 obs.

Rock Wren42 obs.

All birds seen in South Dakota in September

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Western Meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	95	Jul (past peak)
2	Mountain Bluebird	Sialia currucoides	Thrushes	90	Jul (past peak)
3	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	82	Jul (past peak)
4	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	74	May (past peak)
5	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	73	Jun (past peak)
6	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	70	Sep (peak)
7	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	62	Apr (past peak)
8	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	62	Aug (past peak)
9	Black-billed Magpie	Pica hudsonia	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	59	Jun (past peak)
10	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	48	Jan (past peak)
11	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	42	May (past peak)
12	Rock Wren	Salpinctes obsoletus	Wrens	42	Aug (past peak)
13	Double-crested Cormorant	Nannopterum auritum	Cormorants and Shags	42	May (past peak)
14	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	41	Apr (past peak)
15	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	37	Apr (past peak)
16	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	37	Apr (past peak)
17	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Swallows and Martins	37	Jul (past peak)
18	Gray Catbird	Dumetella carolinensis	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	35	May (past peak)
19	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	34	May (past peak)
20	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	New World Warblers	33	May (past peak)
21	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	30	Apr (past peak)
22	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	30	May (past peak)
23	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	28	May (past peak)
24	Vesper Sparrow	Pooecetes gramineus	New World Sparrows	28	Apr (past peak)
25	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	28	Jul (past peak)
26	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	28	Jul (past peak)
27	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	27	Apr (past peak)
28	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	27	Apr (past peak)
29	Clay-colored Sparrow	Spizella pallida	New World Sparrows	27	May (past peak)
30	Spotted Towhee	Pipilo maculatus	New World Sparrows	27	Jun (past peak)
31	Franklin's Gull	Leucophaeus pipixcan	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	27	Aug (past peak)
32	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	27	May (past peak)
33	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	26	Aug (past peak)
34	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	25	May (past peak)
35	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina	New World Sparrows	25	May (past peak)
36	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	25	Jun (past peak)
37	Burrowing Owl	Athene cunicularia	Typical Owls	25	Jul (past peak)
38	Northern Yellow Warbler	Setophaga aestiva	New World Warblers	25	May (past peak)
39	Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	24	May (past peak)
40	Common Yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas	New World Warblers	24	May (past peak)
41	Orange-crowned Warbler	Leiothlypis celata	New World Warblers	24	May (past peak)
42	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	23	Apr (past peak)
43	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	23	Jul (past peak)
44	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	23	May (past peak)
45	Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	New World Sparrows	22	May (past peak)
46	Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	New World Warblers	22	Sep (peak)
47	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	22	Aug (past peak)
48	Northern House Wren	Troglodytes aedon	Wrens	21	May (past peak)
49	Green Heron	Butorides virescens	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	20	Aug (past peak)
50	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	20	Jul (past peak)

Birds Seen in South Dakota in September

Top birds in September

All birds seen in South Dakota in September