city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Bird City, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (71st percentile) and lowest in fall (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bird City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bird City, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Apr 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 6,304 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Bird City
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Fallow / idle cropland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.56 mi SE; pond, lake or river 1.93 mi W.
How Bird City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 60th | 77th | 41st |
| Kansas | 56th | 71st | 58th | 38th |
| High Plains | 87th | 84th | 81st | 31st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Bird City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McDonald 9 mi · St. Francis 14 mi · Atwood 26 mi · Brewster 28 mi · Edson 29 mi · Goodland 29 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Bird City (39.7495, -101.5328); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.