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    Great Plains Zoo (Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium) Hummingbird Guide

    Sioux Falls, Minnehaha CountyZoo & Nature GardenAdmission: Paid

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    NectarBloom 2 lb bag — pure cane sugar hummingbird nectar

    NectarBloom™ — 2 lb Bag

    Fresh nectar in a minute.

    No boiling, no dye. The same sugar hummingbird flowers make. One ingredient, nothing else. Makes up to 160 oz of fresh feeder nectar per bag.

    • Fresh nectar in a minute: measure, stir until clear, and pour
    • No boiling, no dye
    • The same sugar hummingbird flowers make
    • One ingredient, nothing else: 100% pure cane sugar
    • Lab tested. Resealable 2 lb bag, sourced and packed in the USA

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    Overview

    The Great Plains Zoo is a 45-acre accredited zoo in Sioux Falls operated by the Zoological Society of Sioux Falls, home to animals representing all seven continents. The landscaped grounds feature ornamental and native plantings throughout, combined with the Big Sioux River riparian corridor immediately adjacent — providing summer habitat for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. The zoo also operates the Butterfly House & Aquarium at a separate campus.

    Hummingbirds to Watch For

    • • Ruby-throated

    Most Common Hummingbird

    The most commonly sighted hummingbird at Great Plains Zoo (Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium) is the Ruby-throated.

    Best Time to Visit

    Plan your visit during July, August for the highest chance of hummingbird sightings. Early morning and late afternoon are typically the most active feeding times.

    Plants and Habitat

    • • Annual red salvias (*Salvia splendens*) — formal zoo entrance and exhibit plantings
    • • Bee balm (*Monarda* spp.) — naturalistic habitat plantings
    • • Cardinal flower (*Lobelia cardinalis*) — moist habitat areas
    • • Wild bergamot (*Monarda fistulosa*) — prairie-style beds
    • • Trumpet vine (*Campsis radicans*) — on trellises and structures
    • • Prairie blazing star (*Liatris spicata*) — native plant areas

    NectarBloom Tip

    Ask zoo staff which exhibit areas have the most flowering plants in your visit window — zoo horticulture staff maintain plantings that change seasonally. The African savanna and prairie animal exhibits tend to have the most extensive native plantings, where hummingbirds are most likely to be spotted feeding.

    Visitor Notes

    Admission required. Open year-round with seasonal hours. ADA accessible throughout main zoo paths.

    Map

    Ruby-throated near Annual red salvias (*Salvia splendens*) — formal zoo entrance and exhibit plantings at Great Plains Zoo (Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium) in South Dakota

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    Reviews and Sightings

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    Sources

    Nearby gardens in South Dakota

    View Terrace Park & Japanese Gardens in Sioux Falls, South DakotaHummingbirds at Terrace Park & Japanese Gardens in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
    Map

    Minnehaha County

    Terrace Park & Japanese Gardens

    Sioux Falls

    A 52-acre National Register of Historic Places park along Covell Lake in Sioux Falls, Terrace Park is one of South Dakota's most beloved public green spaces. Founded in 1916 and listed on the National Register as Terrace Park and Japanese Gardens in 2015, the park features dramatic quartzite-lined terraces descending 30 feet to the lakeshore, a formal Japanese garden with pagodas, exotic trees, and perennial plantings. The Japanese garden's layered plantings combined with native plants along Covell Lake's shoreline create nectar resources that attract Ruby-throated Hummingbirds during the summer season.

    City Park & Japanese GardenRuby-throated

    View garden →

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