Backyard birds in Watertown, South Dakota
Which birds visit Watertown yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Watertown's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 44.899°, -97.115°
- Population
- 22,073
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 36 min
- December 21 daylight
- 8 h 47 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:45 AM / 5:41 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 4 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 3b–5b
Nesting timing in Watertown
The state guides give nesting windows for South Dakota as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 44.0°N). Watertown is at 44.9°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 4 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Watertown goes from 8 h 47 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 36 min in June, a 6 h 50 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window April–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window May–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window May–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- House Finch — state window April–August
Birds you can expect in Watertown
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
Winter visitors (21)
Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red Crossbills, Hooded Mergansers, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Harris's Sparrows, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Common Redpolls, Hoary Redpolls, White-winged Crossbills, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs
Cold, windy winters.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Watertown
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Watertown, sunrise is around 6:45 AM in mid-April, 5:41 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 Watertown yards
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Nearby cities in South Dakota
- Brookings — 43 mi away, nesting about the same time as Watertown
- Aberdeen — 77 mi away, nesting about the same time as Watertown
- Mitchell — 94 mi away, nesting roughly 5 days earlier than Watertown
- Sioux Falls — 96 mi away, nesting roughly 5 days earlier than Watertown
- Rapid City — 306 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Watertown
Frequently asked
What birds live in Watertown 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 Watertown.
When do birds start nesting in Watertown?
Watertown sits at a different latitude from South Dakota's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 4 days later than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Watertown?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Watertown, sunrise is around 6:45 AM in mid-April and 5:41 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — South Dakota
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- 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.