Buffalo Commons Birding Safaris: Tours

Buffalo Commons Birding Safaris and guides Tom Gibson and Mike Barnhart can take you to where the birds are. We offer a Badlands Tour in southwestern North Dakota, and a tour to the aspen forests of the Turtle Mountains in north central North Dakota. (Map)

Loons
A pair of loons in the Turtle Mountains.

All tour packages include lodging, meals and transportation upon arrival in North Dakota. Typical package tours last 4 days and 3 nights, but we can tailor a tour to your wants and needs. We can set up longer or shorter tours as desired. We can do casual birding or hardcore, bush-beating, hill-climbing, whatever-it-takes-to-get-that-bird-on-my-lifelist birding. You set the tone.

If you prefer more instruction and birding in a more relaxed setting, we offer seminars in bird identification, featuring study skins, slides, field identification techniques and birding by ear. For the beginner, we can give you a jump-start on your lifelist and assist you in developing birding techniques.

We offer group discounts and discounts for ABA members. Contact Us for details.

Photography opportunities abound with both tours, so be sure to bring your camera. We also do guided photography tours. We can set up floating or land blinds to give you the best opportunities for bird or other wildlife photography. All photos shown on this web site were taken by guide Tom Gibson from blinds that are available for use.

BADLANDS TOURS

A Sage Grouse in the Badlands.

The Badlands package takes place at the Logging Camp Ranch in southwest North Dakota. With an old-west atmosphere that includes a working cattle ranch and sawmill, it is located in a Ponderosa Pine forest found only in this part of the state. This provides several overlapping habitats for birds of the woodlands and prairies. The Logging Camp Ranch package includes a visit to a Prairie Dog Town where Burrowing Owls may be found, and visits to historic Medora and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Also found in this area are Baird's Sparrows, Sprague's Pipits, Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Long-billed Curlews, Loggerhead Shrikes and many more prairie species.

Map
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TURTLE MOUNTAIN TOURS

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird in the Turtle Mountains.

The Turtle Mountain package includes a stay in a beautiful log cabin nestled in an aspen forest. This tour will also include visits to the J. Clark Salyer Wildlife Refuge and the International Peace Garden, located on the border between Canada and the United States.

Many woodland species of warblers, vireos and flycatchers may be seen on this tour. Numerous species of waterfowl, Common Loons, Western and Red-necked Grebes are abundant. Moose and Deer are also frequently encountered.

Map
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