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Fish and Wildlife Species

The list of North Dakota species below is limited to species included in the SWAP SGCN and game species.

The 2025 SWAP section of the NDGF website is currently under construction.

Species and Habitat

Species Image Species Common Name Taxon Subtaxon or Group Ecoregion Habitat Associations
Burrowing owl on fence post Burrowing Owl Birds Landbird Missouri Coteau Badlands, Grasslands, Soil
Black-footed ferret by prairie dog hole Black-footed Ferret Mammals Carnivore Badlands, Missouri Slope Badlands, Grasslands, Soil
Eastern Spotted Skunk Eastern Spotted Skunk Mammals Carnivore Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Grasslands
Burbot Burbot Fishes Codfish Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
American avocet on muddy plain American Avocet Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Grasslands, Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
American bittern in brown reeds American Bittern Birds Waterbird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Grasslands, Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
American Golden-Plover on rocky shoreline American Golden-Plover Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Agriculture Cropland, Grasslands, Wetlands
American kestrel on old fence post American Kestrel Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Badlands, Developed, Grasslands, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Baird's sparrow held by researcher Baird’s Sparrow Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope Grasslands
Black tern on a post Black Tern Birds Waterbird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Black-billed Cuckoo in tree Black-billed Cuckoo Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Forest, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Bobolinks - male on left, female on right Bobolink Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Grasslands
Brewer's sparrow on tree branch Brewer’s Sparrow Birds Landbird Missouri Slope Grasslands
Brown thrasher on fence post Brown Thrasher Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Badlands, Developed, Forest, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Agriculture Cropland, Grasslands, Wetlands
Canvasback drake taking off Canvasback Birds Waterfowl Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Chestnut-collared Longspur Chestnut-collared Longspur Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope Grasslands
Dunlin in shallow water Dunlin Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Ferruginous Hawk in grass Ferruginous Hawk Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope Grasslands
Group of Franklin's gulls Franklin’s Gull Birds Waterbird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Agriculture Cropland, Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Golden Eagle on cliff nest Golden Eagle Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Slope Badlands, Grasslands, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Grasshopper Sparrow singing Grasshopper Sparrow Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope Badlands, Grasslands
Greater Prairie-Chicken Greater Prairie-Chicken Birds Landbird Red River Valley Grasslands
Greater Sage-Grouse male displaying Greater Sage-Grouse Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Slope Grasslands
Harris’s Sparrow Harris’s Sparrow Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Developed, Forest, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Two horned grebes Horned Grebe Birds Waterbird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Horned Lark on post Horned Lark Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Agriculture Cropland, Badlands, Grasslands
Hudsonian Godwit Hudsonian Godwit Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Lark Bunting (male on left, female on right) Lark Bunting Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Badlands, Grasslands
Least Tern in flight Least Tern (Interior) Birds Waterbird Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope Lakes and Reservoirs, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
LeConte’s Sparrow LeConte’s Sparrow Birds Landbird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Grasslands, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian, Wetlands
Lesser Scaup (male on left, female on right) Lesser Scaup Birds Waterfowl Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Grasslands, Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian, Wetlands
Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope Badlands, Developed, Grasslands, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Long-billed Curlew Long-billed Curlew Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Slope Agriculture Cropland, Grasslands, Wetlands
Long-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Marbled Godwit Marbled Godwit Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Grasslands, Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Nelson’s Sparrow Nelson’s Sparrow Birds Landbird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Grasslands, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian, Wetlands
Northern Harrier Northern Harrier Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Grasslands, Wetlands
Northern Pintail male Northern Pintail Birds Waterfowl Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Agriculture Cropland, Grasslands, Wetlands
Pectoral Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Piping Plover Piping Plover Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Lakes and Reservoirs, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Prairie Falcon Prairie Falcon Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Slope Grasslands, Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Red-headed Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Birds Landbird Badlands, Missouri Slope Forest, Rivers, Streams and/or Riparian
Ruddy Turnstone Ruddy Turnstone Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Ruffed Grouse Ruffed Grouse Birds Landbird Drift Prairie, Red River Valley Forest
Semipalmated Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Sharp-tailed Grouse Sharp-tailed Grouse Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope Agriculture Cropland, Badlands, Grasslands
Short-billed Dowitcher Short-billed Dowitcher Birds Shorebird Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Red River Valley Lakes and Reservoirs, Wetlands
Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Birds Landbird Badlands, Drift Prairie, Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, Red River Valley Grasslands, Wetlands