South Dakota State Bird

On November 2, 1889, South Dakota was the 40th state to be officially declared as a state of the U.S. Pierre is its capital city. As for the nickname of the state, it is known by one of its biggest landscapes. It is called The Mount Rushmore state. The South Dakota state bird is equally fitting. 

What is the State Bird of South Dakota?

The Ring-necked Pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota. It was introduced way back in 1898. So, it was one of the earliest state birds to be declared. The colorful plumage of the bird has certainly lent to its fame. It is well-known for the delicious taste of its meat as well. As a Midwestern bird, in many states, the Ring-necked Pheasant is a delicacy.

What Makes the State Bird of South Dakota Unusual?

There is nothing more unusual about the Ring-necked Pheasant than the color of the bird species itself. They have copper and gold in their plumage, the collar is a crispy white color. There is also brown in their plumage along with small black stripes. The neck is a deep blue while the area around their eyes is red. The bill is pointed and curved downward. For someone seeing the Ring-necked Pheasant for the first time, they make for an awesome sight.

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South Dakota state bird facts

Let’s learn some amazing facts about the South Dakota state bird.

1. Like most members of the Grouse family, Pheasants also have special, strong muscles on their breasts. It is the white meat that you see on a chicken. It is through these muscles that they gain power, allowing them to escape scary situations. They flush up in the air vertically at a whooshing speed and fly away at 40 mph.

2. At a time, they are capable of travelling about 600 feet. However, sometimes, strong gusts of wind might help them travel farther. There is a record of them flying about 4 miles and crossing an entire body of water without taking a break. However, when the cold winter extends for too long, they go dormant. They hide away from the winter and wait for it to pass, saving their body from exerting itself from the time being and not having to hunt for food.

3. Pheasants have a form of polygony in which they defend their harem. Basically, during breeding season, a male Pheasant keeps other male pheasants away from a small group of pheasant females.

Final Thoughts

The full name of the South Dakota official state bird is the Chinese Ring-necked Pheasant. It is basically an imported bird. So, while you can see them in South Dakota, they are rare and have the status of a delicacy. Of course, as a bird watcher, you would be more than happy to catch a glimpse of the colorful bird than you are waiting to eat them.

Ornithology