For anyone looking for an expert local guide to find Baird’s Sparrows, I recommend Noah Kuck, who covers North Dakota for American Birding Guides. During a private tour last month, Noah took me to a reliable location he knows in central North Dakota. He had to contend with stiff winds to detect the prairie bird’s song, and then with its skulking nature, but we eventually got to see one. We returned the following morning, when conditions were better. This time Noah got us close enough for great, unobstructed views of a male and all its key field marks as it occasionally perched up and sang. In short, a 100 percent success. I also wanted to see Greater Prairie Chickens, and Noah took me to a spot he knows in western Minnesota, where we got good looks at four young males. We saw lots of other great birds during our days together. This was my sixth private tour with American Birding Guides. It won’t be my last.

Seth was our guide for our Baird’s sparrow target, but he also shared his wealth of knowledge of North Dakota prairie pothole ecology. We traveled to sloughs, fields, ponds, and lakes in search of prairie birds. We had an outstanding experience with him, and we ended up having great looks at 6 Baird’s sparrows as well as other prairie birds.