Birds

 

Birds of Devils Tower

Devils Tower National Monument provides several ecosystems for more than 160 species of birds. They can be found in the riparian areas along the Belle Fourche River, hunting prey in prairie dog town and foraging in the ponderosa pine forest beside Devils Tower. Even the rocky crags of the Tower offer ideal nesting locations. Consequently, a diversity of birds migrate through and nest in the park.

LEGEND:
C = Common
F = Fairly Common
U = Uncommon
O= Occasional
R = Rare
I = Introduced
* = Breeding.

Pelicans and Cormorants

• American White Pelican R
• Double-crested Cormorant R

Wading Birds

• Great Blue Heron* U
• Green Heron R
• Black-crowned Night Heron R

Geese and Ducks

• Snow Goose R
• Canada Goose C
• Wood Duck* C/U
• Green-winged Teal R
• Mallard* C/U
• Blue-winged Teal R
• Common Merganser R
• Canvasback R

Diurnal Raptors

• Turkey Vulture* F

• Osprey F
• Bald Eagle C
• Northern Harrier U
• Sharp-shinned Hawk U
• Cooper's Hawk* U
• Northern Goshawk* U
• Red-tailed Hawk* C
• Ferruginous Hawk R
• Rough-legged Hawk U
• Golden Eagle F

• American Kestrel* F
• Merlin R
• Peregrine Falcon F
• Prairie Falcon* F

Upland game birds

• Ring-necked Pheasant I, F
• Sharp-tailed Grouse R
• Wild Turkey* I,C

Gruiformes

• Sandhill Crane F
• American Coot R

Shorebirds

• Killdeer* R

• Spotted Sandpiper* R

Gulls

• Ring-billed Gull R

Doves and Pigeons

• Rock Dove* I, C
• Mourning Dove* F
• Eurasain Collard Dove I,C

Cuckoos

• Yellow-billed Cuckoo R

Owls

• Eastern Screech Owl* F
• Great Horned Owl* C
• Long-eared Owl R
• Short-eared Owl R
• Northern Saw-whet Owl* F

Goatsuckers and swifts

• Common Nighthawk* C
• Common Poorwill* C

• White-throated Swift* C

Hummingbirds

• Broad-tailed Hummingbird R

Kingfishers

• Belted Kingfisher* U

Woodpeckers

• Lewis' Woodpecker* U
• Red-headed Woodpecker* C
• Red-naped Sapsucker R
• Williamson's Sapsucker R
• Downy Woodpecker* C
• Hairy Woodpecker* F
• Black-backed Woodpecker* O
• Northern Flicker* C

Tyrant Flycatchers

• Western Wood-Pewee* C
• Least Flycatcher F
• Dusky Flycatcher O
• Cordilleran Flycatcher R
• Eastern Phoebe R
• Say's Phoebe* C
• Western Kingbird C
• Eastern Kingbird* C

Larks

• Horned Lark R

Swallows

• Tree Swallow F
• Violet-green Swallow* U
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow* O
• Cliff Swallow* F
• Barn Swallow* F

Jays, Magpies and Crows

• Gray Jay* R
• Steller's Jay R
• Blue Jay* F
• Pinyon Jay* F
• Clark's Nutcracker R
• Black-billed Magpie F
• American Crow* F

Chickadees

• Black-capped Chickadee* C

Nuthatches

• Red-breasted Nuthatch* C
• White-breasted Nuthatch* C
• Pygmy Nuthatch R

Creepers

• Brown Creeper* C

Wrens

• Rock Wren* C
• Canyon Wren* O
• House Wren* C

Old World Warblers, Thrushes and their Allies

• Blackpoll Warbler R
• Golden-crowned Kinglet R
• American Redstart R
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet O
• Eastern Bluebird R
• Mountain Bluebird* C
• Townsend's Solitaire* F
• Veery R
• Swainson's Thrush R
• American Robin* C

Mimids

• Gray Catbird F
• Brown Thrasher* O

Pipits

• American Pipit R

Waxwings

• Bohemian Waxwing R
• Cedar Waxwing* F

Shrikes and Vireos

• Northern Shrike R
• Loggerhead Shrike R
• Solitary Vireo* R
• Warbling Vireo* F
• Red-eyed Vireo* C
• Plumbeos Vireo C

Wood Warblers

• Tennessee Warbler R
• Orange-crowned Warbler R
• Yellow Warbler* F
• Yellow-rumped Warbler* F
• Ovenbird* F
• MacGillivray's Warbler R
• Common Yellowthroat* F
• Hooded Warbler R
• Wilson's Warbler O
• Yellow-breasted Chat* O

Tanagers, Cardinals and their Allies

• Western Tanager* F
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak R
• Black-headed Grosbeak* C
• Lazuli Bunting* F
• Indigo Bunting R
• Dickcissel R
• Spotted Towhee* F

Emberizine Sparrows and their Allies

• American Tree Sparrow R
• Chipping Sparrow* C
• Clay-colored Sparrow U
• Brewer's Sparrow R
• Field Sparrow R
• Vesper Sparrow* O
• Lark Sparrow* C
• Harris' Sparrow R
• Lark Bunting U
• Dark-eyed Junco* F
• Savannah Sparrow R
• Song Sparrow* U
• Lincoln's Sparrow R
• Swamp Sparrow R
• White-throated Sparrow R
• White-crowned Sparrow U
• House Sparrow I,O
• Grasshopper Sparrow C

Starlings

• European Starling I

Icterids

• Red-winged Blackbird* F
• Western Meadowlark* F
• Yellow-headed Blackbird R
• Brewer's Blackbird* O
• Common Grackle* O
• Brown-headed Cowbird* C
• Orchard Oriole R
• Northern Oriole* R
• Bullocks Oriole C

Finches and Old World Sparrows

• Gray-crowned Rosy Finch U
• Pine Grosbeak R
• Cassin's Finch* U
• House Finch R
• Red Crossbill* C
• White-winged Crossbill R
• Common Redpoll R
• Pine Siskin* F
• American Goldfinch* C
• Evening Grosbeak* U

Very rare or unconfirmed records:

• Swainson's Hawk
• Sage Grouse
• Burrowing Owl
• Common Raven (extirpated)
• Sage Thrasher
• Gray Vireo
• Black-and-white Warbler