What’s flocking to your feeders?
by Eileen Dowd Stukel

            This column typically features stories about rare or unique animals in South Dakota, often species that the average person might not have a good chance of seeing. For many of us, backyard birds provide a daily opportunity to view common but still beautiful and interesting representatives of the avian world. The following species are some of the most common and widespread visitors to South Dakota bird feeders. All photos were provided by Doug Backlund (http://wildphotosphotography.com/)

            The black-capped chickadee is a year-round resident that is easily attracted to feeders. The male and female look alike.

            The white-breasted nuthatch is a year-round resident that often moves down a tree trunk or branch head first. The male (pictured) has a black cap, compared to the female’s dark gray cap.

            The red-breasted nuthatch nests in the Black Hills and in outlying pine forests of western South Dakota, such as the Rosebud area, Pine Ridge, Slim Buttes and Cave Hills. It is a winter visitor elsewhere in the state. The male (pictured) has a black cap and a black stripe through the eye. The female is paler overall and has a bluish cap and a paler eyestripe.

            The dark-eyed junco is a member of the sparrow family that winters in South Dakota. The white-winged junco, considered a group, race, or population, breeds in the Black Hills. Juncos typically feed on the ground. The junco’s nickname is “snowbird.”

            The house sparrow is an exotic species, meaning that it is not native to North America. This highly successful species is a common year-round feeder bird. A nonbreeding male is pictured.

            A year-round resident, the house finch (male pictured) may gather in large groups at backyard feeders. House finches may become infected with conjunctivitis, causing the eyes to be swollen or crusty. Birds may weaken and sometimes starve to death. If you observe sick or diseased birds at your feeders, clean up the feeder areas and stop feeding for a couple of weeks to break the disease cycle.

            The pine siskin is a year-round resident in the Black Hills and a winter visitor elsewhere in the state. Pine siskins and goldfinches often flock together at feeders with niger seed, sometimes called finch or thistle seed. The male (pictured) has a yellow wingbar.

            A female house finch (left) and an American goldfinch (nonbreeding male at right). Both are year-round South Dakota residents.

            The blue jay is a year-round resident in most of South Dakota, although less common during the winter. The male and female look alike.

            The northern cardinal (male pictured) is a year-round resident in parts of central and eastern South Dakota. The female has a red crest, bill, wings and tail, but is otherwise brown in color.

            The sharp-shinned hawk (adult pictured) visits backyard feeding areas to pursue the small birds that are its prey. This species and the similar Cooper’s hawk are extremely agile flyers, able to dart through bushes and trees.

            The downy woodpecker (male pictured at left) and hairy woodpecker (male pictured at right) are year-round residents wherever they can find suitable trees to excavate nesting cavities. The hairy is larger at 9 inches long, compared to the downy, which is less than 7 inches long. The hairy’s bill is proportionately much longer than the downy’s bill. Females of both species lack red on the head.

            The red-bellied woodpecker (female pictured) is a year-round resident in parts of eastern South Dakota with mature woodlands. The male’s head is red from the bill to the nape of the neck. The belly has a reddish tinge, but this isn’t an obvious distinguishing characteristic.

Eileen Dowd Stukel is the Wildlife Diversity Coordinator for the Department of Game, Fish and Parks.