Badlands - Good Birds: The colorful landscape covered with abundant wildflowers, dark green pines and outcrops of the red soil of the badlands compete with birds like Yellow-breasted Chat and Common Poorwill for our attention while we visit the fantastic terrain of south-western North Dakota.

The short-grass prairies of Southwestern North Dakota have hidden treasures. Rust-colored back roads through the Little Missouri National Grasslands travel through the badlands topped with evergreens. Isolated groves of Ponderosa Pines that provide some of the most unique birding the Midwest has to offer.

In southwestern North Dakota the fantastic terrain of the badlands is capped by clay that has been baked into bright red ‘scoria’ topped with tall conifers. Forest land is uncommon in North Dakota, particularly the arid southwest. That makes this isolated stand of Ponderosa Pines all the more intriguing. While the trees cover several thousand acres, they’re found on intermingled public and private lands, making a good map a prerequisite for exploring.

The effort to reach this out-of-the-way location is well worthwhile, as it provides unique birding opportunities. Look for nesting Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, Common Poorwill, Black-billed Magpie, Red-breasted Nuthatch, “Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Black-headed Grosbeaks Lazuli Bunting and Red Crossbill. Vagrants found here include Clark’s Nutcracker, Yellow-throated Warbler, Western Tanager, and “White-winged” Dark-eyed Junco.

Catch the rest of the Midwest Quest in the June issue of NatureScape News!