“Bird Explosion” Hits Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota

If you looked out your window this morning and thought the trees looked a little more colorful than they did on Friday, you aren’t imagining things. Over the weekend, millions of feathered travelers officially crossed the borders into South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa, bringing a sudden burst of song and color to our backyards.

In the past two days, an enormous "bird wave" has crashed into the Midwestern States. Experts estimated that over 200 million birds were in the air in the past few days alone, and the local real estate just got considerably more crowded.

Here's a look at 7 of the most prominent birds that are making homes in our 'neck of the woods' right now, and how to attract them to your feeder.

Get our free mobile app

1) Baltimore Oriole

These beautiful songbirds have officially "flooded" into Iowa and southeastern South Dakota (Sioux Falls area) as of yesterday. In Minnesota, they are currently pushing through the Twin Cities and heading toward the northern forests.

How to Attract Them: Put out some orange halves and small dishes of grape jelly on your platform.

2) Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds

The males arrive first, now the females are flooding into our area. They typically prefer forested areas, gardens, orchards, and even your backyard, if it suits their needs.

How to Attract Them: Step one -  Get yourself a hummingbird feeder. Then, use a simple mixture of four parts water to one part white sugar. Skip the red dye; it’s not necessary, and the red on the feeder itself does the job.

3) Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

These "show-stoppers" also arrived in huge numbers over the weekend. You can find them in most of Iowa and eastern South Dakota. In Minnesota, sightings are spiking as they move toward their nesting grounds in deciduous forests.

How to Attract Them: These birds have heavy beaks built for seeds, but they definitely have their favorites. Fill a hopper or tray feeder with black oil sunflower seeds or safflower seeds.

4) Indigo Bunting

These breathtaking (and tiny) birds are just now crossing into our borders. They've been spotted moving into brushy edges and wooded areas across Iowa and are currently settling into the river valleys of South Dakota and southern Minnesota.

How to Attract Them: These hungry little songbirds are big fans of white proso millet or thistle seeds. They prefer feeding near "cover," so place these feeders near some bushes.

5) Yellow Warbler

This happy little "yellow flash" is one of the most vocal signs that spring has sprung in the Upper-Midwest. Millions of these warblers just "fell out" into trees across our area after traveling this weekend. You can find them in the willows and shrubs near the water in Minnesota, Iowa, and eastern South Dakota right now.

How to Attract Them: You won’t usually find these at a seed feeder since they eat insects, but they are suckers for a birdbath with moving or dripping water.

6) Barn Swallow

These acrobatic flyers followed the warm air currents north this past weekend. While they sometimes get a "bad reputation" for being messy roommates on porches/barns, or for their notorious dive-bombing habits on unsuspecting children (my eleven-year-old self included), Barn Swallows are actually some of the best neighbors you can have. A single one can eat up to 60 insects per hour! They've just returned to the farmsteads of Iowa and South Dakota, and you can see them swooping over fields in Minnesota as they begin their "pest control" work right now.

How to Attract Them: They catch their meals in mid-air, but you can help them out by providing a small, muddy patch in your yard so they can build their nests.

7) House Wren

These small brownish birds might not have the flash of an Oriole or Hummingbird, but they are no less "mighty". They arrived in force during this weekend's explosion and are already filling backyards across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota with their extremely loud and bubbly songs. While they're pretty tiny, they're unbelievably busy - you'll see them right now scouting out every nook, cranny, and birdhouse in your yard as they begin to build their nests.

How to Attract Them: They love a good nesting box! Hang a small birdhouse with a 1 1/8-inch opening about 6 to 10 feet off the ground near some shrubbery.