Perch Supply
South Dakota · 43.71°N

Backyard birds in Mitchell, South Dakota

Which birds visit Mitchell yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Mitchell's own coordinates.

Male Northern Cardinal with crimson plumage and black face mask
Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates
43.709°, -98.030°
Population
15,669
June 21 daylight
15 h 27 min
December 21 daylight
8 h 55 min
Sunrise mid-April / late June
6:50 AM / 5:49 AM
Nesting vs state average
about the same time as the state-wide average
Hardiness zones (state)
USDA 3b–5b

Nesting timing in Mitchell

The state guides give nesting windows for South Dakota as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 44.0°N). Mitchell is at 43.7°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts about the same time as the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.

Daylight triggers breeding. Mitchell goes from 8 h 55 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 27 min in June, a 6 h 32 min swing.

Birds you can expect in Mitchell

Year-round residents (44)

Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Field Sparrows, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Barn Owls, Horned Larks, Rock Pigeons

Summer breeders (63)

Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Spotted Towhees, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Least Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, American Woodcocks, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Burrowing Owls, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Dickcissels, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds

Cold, windy winters.

When to watch: dawn chorus in Mitchell

Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Mitchell, sunrise is around 6:50 AM in mid-April, 5:49 AM at the June solstice and 8:02 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.

Native plants for Mitchell yards

Eastern red cedar
Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Smooth sumac
Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Black cherry
Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry
Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia · Vine

Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.

Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa · Perennial

Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.

Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.

Common sunflower
Helianthus annuus · Perennial

Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.

Nearby cities in South Dakota

  • Sioux Falls — 66 mi away, nesting about the same time as Mitchell
  • Brookings — 74 mi away, nesting about the same time as Mitchell
  • Watertown — 94 mi away, nesting roughly 5 days later than Mitchell
  • Aberdeen — 123 mi away, nesting roughly 7 days later than Mitchell
  • Rapid City — 260 mi away, nesting about the same time as Mitchell

Frequently asked

What birds live in Mitchell all year?

Year-round residents across South Dakota include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Mitchell.

When do birds start nesting in Mitchell?

Mitchell sits at a different latitude from South Dakota's population centre, so nesting runs about the same time as the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.

What time does the dawn chorus start in Mitchell?

Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Mitchell, sunrise is around 6:50 AM in mid-April and 5:49 AM in late June.

Sources

  1. eBird region overview and bar charts — South Dakota
  2. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
  3. Audubon Native Plants Database
  4. GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
  5. NOAA Solar Calculator methodology

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.