Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Breeding Birds of North Dakota
Environmental Relationships of Breeding Birds
Faunistic Composition of Breeding Birds
The breeding birds of North Dakota are composed of four distinct faunistic elements.
Each of these elements represents a group of species that show similar biogeographical
relationships. One primary group, referred to as the North-central Avifauna,
includes typical species of the northern prairie region on the central plains
that are of paramount importance throughout the state. The other groups, of
secondary importance, are restricted to somewhat limited populations that are
of local occurrence wherever appropriate habitat conditions are found. These,
referred to as the Eastern, Western, and Northern Avifaunas, include species
that are best represented in major biotic regions, or biomes, outside of the
state boundaries.
North-central Avifauna
The typical species occupy various upland and wetland habitats that represent
natural successional stages leading to and including the climax mixed-grass
prairie associations. A total of 56 species of birds are representative. These
include seven species largely endemic within the northern mixed-grass prairie
regions--the Marbled Godwit, Sprague's Pipit, Lark Bunting, Baird's Sparrow,
Le Conte's Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, and Chestnut-collared Longspur--and
49 pandemic species. The species in the latter group also are of regular occurrence
in other major biotic regions.
Characteristic Species
Eared Grebe Marbled Godwit
Western Grebe American Avocet
Pied-billed Grebe Wilson's Phalarope
White Pelican Franklin's Gull
Double-crested Cormorant Forster's Tern
American Bittern Black Tern
Black-crowned Night Burrowing Owl
Heron Short-eared Owl
Trumpeter Swan Common Nighthawk
Canada Goose Horned Lark
Gadwall Bank Swallow
Mallard Long-billed Marsh Wren
Pintail Sprague's Pipit
Blue-winged Teal Common Yellowthroat
Northern Shoveler Bobolink
Canvasback Western Meadowlark
Redhead Red-winged Blackbird
Ruddy Duck Yellow-headed Blackbird
Ferruginous Hawk Brown-headed Cowbird
Marsh Hawk Lark Bunting
Sharp-tailed Grouse Savannah Sparrow
Whooping Crane Baird's Sparrow
Sandhill Crane Grasshopper Sparrow
Sora Le Conte's Sparrow
American Coot Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Piping Plover Vesper Sparrow
Killdeer Clay-colored Sparrow
Upland Plover Chestnut-collared
Willet Longspur
Eastern Avifauna
Species that typify this group are represented by considerable populations in
various habitats within the eastern half of the state but occur more sparingly
in the western half. Many of these 71 species are especially conspicuous in
woodland biotic communities located on floodplains and bluffs along major streams,
on prominent hills and escarpments, and as concentric bands that adjoin the
shores of permanent lakes. Man-created woodland habitats including tree-claims,
shelterbelts, and residential areas of towns and farmsteads are commonly utilized
as well. Some of these species are also characteristic of other avifaunas.
Characteristic Species
Least Bittern Blue Jay
Green Heron Common Crow
Great Blue Heron Black-capped Chickadee
Wood Duck White-breasted Nuthatch
Cooper's Hawk House Wren
Red-tailed Hawk Short-billed Marsh Wren
Bald Eagle Brown Thrasher
American Kestrel1 Gray Catbird
Greater Prairie Chicken American Robin
Virginia Rail Veery
Least Tern Eastern Bluebird
Mourning Dove1 Cedar Waxwing
Passenger Pigeon Loggerhead Shrike1
Black-billed Cuckoo Yellow-throated Vireo
Screech Owl Red-eyed Vireo
Great Horned Owl Warbling Vireo
Barred Owl Black-and-white Warbler
Long-eared Owl Yellow Warbler
Whip-poor-will Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chimney Swift American Redstart
Ruby-throated Ovenbird
Hummingbird Common Grackle
Belted Kingfisher Baltimore Oriole
Downy Woodpecker Orchard Oriole
Hairy Woodpecker Scarlet Tanager
Red-headed Woodpecker American Goldfinch
Yellow-shafted Flicker Dickcissel
Pileated Woodpecker Cardinal
Eastern Kingbird Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Great Crested Flycatcher Indigo Bunting
Eastern Phoebe Eastern Rufous-sided
Willow Flycatcher Towhee
Least Flycatcher Lark Sparrow1
Eastern Wood Pewee Chipping Sparrow1
Purple Martin Field Sparrow1
Rough-winged Swallow Song Sparrow
Barn Swallow
1Species also characteristic of Western Avifauna.
Western Avifauna
This group involves 37 species that are quite prominent in the southwestern
quarter of North Dakota and are represented by fairly large, local populations
in the northwestern quarter. The breeding ranges of a few species also extend
into the eastern half of the state. Most species occupy the habitat complexes
of the western badlands but also occur in various types of woodland communities
and in xerophytic tracts of the northern shrub desert.
Characteristic Species
Turkey Vulture Rock Wren
Sharp-shinned Hawk Common Raven
Swainson's Hawk Mountain Bluebird
Golden Eagle Loggerhead Shrike2
Prairie Falcon Audubon's Warbler
Peregrine Falcon Yellow-breasted Chat
Merlin Brewer's Blackbird
American Kestrel2 Bullock's Oriole
Sage Grouse Black-headed Grosbeak
Mountain Plover Lazuli Bunting
Long-billed Curlew Spotted Rufous-sided
California Gull Towhee
Mourning Dove2 Lark Sparrow2
Poor-will Chipping Sparrow2
Red-shafted Flicker Brewer's Sparrow
Western Kingbird Field Sparrow2
Say's Phoebe McCown's Longspur
Western Wood Pewee Bell's Vireo
Cliff Swallow Black-billed Magpie
2Species also characteristic of Eastern Avifauna.
Northern Avifauna
Thirty-one breeding species are considered to belong to this group. These species
are characteristic of habitats within the trans-continental taiga forest belt
of Canada. Populations of most of these species within North Dakota are best
represented in the northeastern quarter, particularly in areas along the Canadian
border. A few species also occur locally in the southeastern and northwestern
quarters of the state. Many are associated with boreal types of forest that
are dominated by quaking aspen, balsam poplar, and paper birch. Others are largely
restricted to scattered fens or to certain types of large lakes. In addition,
planted groves of conifers, especially spruce, are occupied by a few species.
Characteristic Species
Common Loon Ruffed Grouse
Red-necked Grebe Yellow Rail
Horned Grebe Common Snipe
American Wigeon Spotted Sandpiper
American Green-winged Ring-billed Gull
Teal Common Tern
Black Duck Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Ring-necked Duck Tree Swallow
Lesser Scaup Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-winged Scoter Philadelphia Vireo
Bufflehead Northern Waterthrush
Common Goldeneye Mourning Warbler
Hooded Merganser Purple Finch
Common Merganser Red Crossbill
Broad-winged Hawk Pine Siskin
Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow
Proportional Populations of the Breeding Avifaunas
The population proportions of the four faunistic groups that comprise the state
breeding avifauna were determined from field data obtained during a state-wide
study of breeding bird populations in 1967 (Stewart and Kantrud 1972). Excluding
exotic introduced species, a total of 11,824 breeding pairs were recorded on
randomly selected sample units throughout the state. Of this total, about 80
percent were represented by the 56 species that are characteristic of the primary
North-central faunistic group, and about 20 percent of the breeding pairs were
represented by the 139 species that are typical of the secondary faunistic groups.
Proportions of the three secondary groups varied as follows: Eastern, 13 percent;
Western, 6 percent; and Northern, 1 percent.
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey