Bird Watching in Wind Cave

Western meadowlarks like to serenade the prairie from fences and tall perches.

NPS Photo

Wind Cave is the permanent home to over 100 species of birds, with many more stopping at the park during spring and fall migration. Although you can bird watch anywhere in the park, the best spots are easy to access and close to the visitor center.

A printable species list is available at the bottom of the page.

Details

Duration

15-60 Minutes

Activity

Birdwatching

Pets Allowed

Yes with Restrictions

Pets are prohibited inside the visitor center unless they are a certified service animal. Emotional support animals are not service animals and are not allowed in the visitor center.

Leashed pets are allowed in the Elk Mountain Campground, on roads and parking lots, and on the Elk Mountain Campground Trail and Prairie Vista Trail. Pets are prohibited on all other trails and in the backcountry.

Please do not bring pets to guided bird walks.

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Reservations

No

Season

Year Round

Birds may be viewed in the park year round. Peak bird activity occurs during summer months and spring and fall migrations.

Time of Day

Day, Dawn, Dusk

The best time to view birds is in the early morning around sunrise.

Accessibility Information

The area around the Wind Cave Visitor Center includes ramp entrances, paved sidewalks, and accessible parking.

The Elk Mountain Campground trailhead has accessible parking. The trail itself is narrow and has rugged terrain and is not wheelchair accessible. The campground amphitheater across from the trailhead has a paved sidewalk and is wheelchair accessible.

What to Bring

• Binoculars. The park does not rent or lend binoculars.

• Wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap. During the summer, temperatures in the park regularly reach 90°F (32°C) and the weather is usually sunny.

• Food and water. The visitor center has some vending machines but there are no cafeterias or restaurants in the park.

• Field guide. Free park bird lists may be obtained at the visitor center. Field guides may be purchased in the bookstore.

• Sunscreen and bug spray. In the summer, the weather is usually sunny and mosquitoes, biting flies, and ticks may be encountered in the park.

Warblers are a common summer sight in mixed woodlands.

NPS Photo

Visitor Center Area

The area surrounding the visitor center is the best place to spot a large variety of bird species. The mix of different habitats attracts many smaller birds during the growing season. You may be serenaded by a western meadowlark or yellow-breasted chat while having a picnic, or hear a brown thrasher mimicking another bird's song. Cedar waxwings are often spotted flying in and out of the trees.

The Prairie Vista Trail begins and ends at the picnic area 1/4 mile north of the visitor center and provides the opportunity to view a variety of prairie birds along a one-mile loop. Both eastern and mountain bluebirds can be seen perched on fence lines. Birds of prey like golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and Cooper's hawks soar overhead as they hunt for prey on the wing.

Woodpeckers are often spotted in and around the campground.

NPS Photo

Elk Mountain Campground

If you are camping at Wind Cave, you can bird watch without even leaving the campground! The ponderosa stands attract many forest-dwelling species. The campground is a haven for red-headed woodpeckers and northern flickers. If you’re lucky, you may see a black-backed woodpecker, which are rarely seen east of the Rocky Mountains. At night, the campground becomes a hunting ground for owls.

The Elk Mountain Campground Trail can be reached from the parking area across from the amphitheater and takes you through both open prairie and ponderosa forest. Listen for the roaring sound of a male common nighthawk as he dives to attract females in the evenings. You may also spot a tiny house wren or brightly colored western tanager among the trees.

Protecting the Park

• Remember that all park resources - rocks, antlers, bones, plants, animals, and artifacts - are to remain as you find them. All visitors are entitled to the same sense of discovery you experience when traveling the park trails, and collecting these items is illegal.

• While bird watching, do not leave traces of your visit. Litter is unsightly and spoils the park experience for everybody.

• Please help keep wildlife wild and do not feed birds or other animals in the park. Feeding wildlife can make the animal sick or cause them to seek humans for hand outs in dangerous places like roads or parking lots.

Visitors may be able to join a ranger on a bird walk during the summer.

NPS Photo

Guided Bird Walks

During the summer, ranger led bird walks may be offered on select mornings. Visitors will have the opportunity to join a ranger to learn the basics of birding and observe some of the park's species in their natural habitat while staying close to the visitor center. It is recommended to bring your own binoculars. All ranger programs are weather dependent.

This is a program recommended for adults and families with older children. Please do not bring pets to the program.

Please call the visitor center to check program availability: [phone]

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Wind Cave National Park

Select a Species Category (optional):

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Species attribute definitions

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