Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge.
Located 20 miles north of Jamestown in the eastern, central part of the state. Jamestown is on I-94 about 90 miles west of Fargo. The Refuge has excellent nesting habitat for ducks, geese, grebes, shorebirds, and numerous upland songbirds. The Refuge attracts thousands of ducks, geese, and swans during spring and fall migrations, and wood ducks and hooded mergansers nest in the many nesting boxes placed along the lakes and wetlands. Western grebes can be observed on the lakes doing their mating dance in late May and early June. Nearly 270 bird species have been recorded here.
Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
30 minutes south east of Bismarck at Moffit, Long Lake is a natural lake of limited depth by reason of its location in a shallow alkaline basin. Grasslands adjoining water areas provide nesting sites for several species of ducks, upland plovers, marbled godwits, willets, and sharp-tailed grouse. About 210 bird species have been recorded here.
Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge.
This birding site is located 18 miles north of Stanley on State Hwy 8 in the north western part of the state. The refuge covers 26,900 acres of rolling topography on the Missouri Coteau in the northwestern part of the state. It is recognized as one of the best places to find good numbers of Baird's, Clay-colored, Grasshopper, LeConte's and Nelson's sharp-tailed Sparrows and Sprague's Pipit. Good numbers of waterfowl can also be found there.
Souris Loop National Wildlife Refuges.
In the north western part of the state near Kenmare, Upham and Foxholm. The "Souris Loop" National Wildlife Refuges system is made up of Des Lacs (19,554 acres), J. Clark Salyer (58,700 acres) and Upper Souris (32,092 acres). Important habitats found on these refuges include restored marshes, remnant tracts of native grass, lowland meadow, impounded lakes, wooded sandhills, river bottoms and brush covered coulees. While waterfowl, pelicans, tundra swans, grouse and cranes are spectacular, a variety of other species of interest may be found. Birders come from all over the country looking for Sprague's Pipits, and Baird's and Le Conte's sparrows. In addition, as many as five species of grebes may be found. To date, 293 bird species have been recorded on these refuges
Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve.
Skirting the south shore of Devils Lake in Benson County near Fort Totten in the north eastern part of the state, the preserve's wooded hills are attractive to birds not normally seen in the open areas of the State. In addition, a wide variety of waterfowl, shore and marsh birds may be found around Sweetwater Lake, along the preserve's shore of Devils Lake, and in the marsh of Fort Totten Bay. Peak bird populations are from late April to early June, and from late August to mid-October. Their list contains 267 birds that may be observed in this general area.