North and South Dakota, the core of the Northern Prairie states, contain an impressive combination of geology, wildlife, scenery, and rich American history. This unique tour, which pairs birding with geology and visiting American landmarks, will not only target specialty birds but also visit several famous National Parks. Have you always wanted to see Mount Rushmore, visit Badlands National Park, or observe Bison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park? This trip aims to do all the above, and more.

Our eight-day itinerary loops through both of the Dakotas, starting and ending in Bismarck, North Dakota. The late spring to early summer period is a pleasant time to visit, and our time in the prairie-pothole region (created by glaciers more than 11,000 years ago) will be filled with the song of Western Meadowlarks, Bobolinks, Grasshopper Sparrows, Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Lark Buntings, and more. Grassland shorebirds can be found here as well, including Upland Sandpiper, Willet, Long-billed Curlew, and the unique Wilson’s Phalarope. We’ll visit expansive wetlands teeming with Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Western Grebes, and Black Terns, while nearby wet grasslands are home to some fancy sparrows like Nelson's Sparrow and LeConte's Sparrow. In western North Dakota, we'll target additional specialties like Sprague's Pipit and the prized Baird's Sparrow in the dry prairie.

The second half of our tour has us switching gears and visiting the conspicuous Black Hills of South Dakota. This very isolated “island” of mountains, some reaching up to 7000 feet, hosts a very different array of birds and mammals. The many rushing rivers, deep gorges, meadows, and waterfalls make for a very pleasant wildlife destination. The list of western montane species found in the Black Hills is impressive; we'll be searching for American Dipper, Western Flycatcher, MacGillivray's Warbler, Canada Jay, Red Crossbill, Cassin's Finch, and others. We aim to see White-throated Swifts and Violet-green Swallows flying overhead, hear the cascading song of Canyon Wrens, and maybe even spot a Black-backed or Lewis's Woodpecker. The list of mammals in this area is quite remarkable as well, offering numerous opportunities to observe a variety of species, including the Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Bison, Pronghorn, Elk, Mule Deer, and Bighorn Sheep.

Whether it's the vast prairie, oceans of cattails, and rugged grasslands of North Dakota, or the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, and the striking Badlands of South Dakota, this tour will be unique in sampling all of these!

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