1911 J Visher, Birds of Harding County, South Dakota. 7 



The southern half of the county is over sixty miles from a rail- 

 road. 



Ecologically the nesting birds may be grouped into five or more 

 distinct associations; those of the steppe of the deciduous woods 

 along the streams, of the pine forests, of badlands, and those of 

 bodies of water. 



1. The conspicuous nesting birds of the steppe or plains are 

 Upland Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Marsh, Swainson and Sparrow 

 Hawks, Burrowing Owl, Western Nighthawk, Desert Horned 

 Lark, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, Chestnut- 

 collared and McCown's Longspurs, Western Vesper Sparrow, 

 Lark Bunting and Sprague's Pipit. 



2. The most numerous birds of the groves of deciduous trees 

 are: Mourning Dove, Downy and Red-headed Woodpeckers, 

 Northern and Red-shafted Flickers, Kingbird, Traill's Flycatcher, 

 Magpie, Crossbill, Goldfinch, Western Lark Sparrow, Arctic 

 Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, White-rumped Shrike, Yellow 

 Warbler, Long-tailed Chat, Brown Thrasher, and Robin. 



3. In the pine woods are to be found Hairy Woodpecker, 

 Clarke's Nutcracker, Piiion Jay, White-winged Junco, Arctic 

 Towhee, Cedar Waxwing, Audubon's Warbler, Ovenbird, Western 

 House Wren, Red-bellied Nuthatch, Long-tailed Chickadee and 

 Western Bluebird. 



4. In badlands, Prairie Falcon, Western Horned Owl, Say's 

 Phoebe, Cliff Swallow and Rock Wren are almost certain to breed. 



5. About water, the following were frequently found in mid- 

 summer: Blue and Green-winged Teals, Shoveller, Pintail, Spotted 

 and Solitary Sandpipers, Killdeer, Kingfisher, Brewer's Blackbird. 



Harding County presents more variety than surrounding coun- 

 ties do, and it is probable that a complete list of its birds would 

 include practically all of those of the southwestern fourth of North 

 Dakota, southeastern Montana, and even northeastern Wyoming. 



List of Species 



1. Colymbus nigricollis calif ornicus. Eared Grebe. — -An occa- 

 sional migrant along the Little Missouri River. 



2. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. — Reported by 

 Catron and others to be a fairly abundant migrant along the larger streams. 



