Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Breeding Range. (Fig. 95). Common in the Turtle Mountains; fairly common in the Agassiz Lake Plain Region, and on the Northeastern Drift Plain, Southern Drift Plain, and Northwestern Drift Plain; fairly common locally on the Missouri Coteau (most numerous within Ward, Mountrail, and Burke Counties), on the Coteau Slope (most numerous along valleys of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers), on the Missouri Slope (most numerous along the valleys of the Cannonball, Heart, and Knife rivers within Sioux, Morton, and Mercer Counties), and in the northern portion of the Little Missouri Slope (within Dunn and McKenzie Counties): uncommon in the southern portion of the Little Missouri Slope (within Billings, Golden Valley, Slope, and Bowman Counties). The breeding range of the Yellow-shafted Flicker overlaps the breeding range of the Red-shafted Flicker and in this area hybrids between the two forms often occur (Kroodsma 1970).
Breeding Habitat. Characteristic of open woodlands or forest margins. This species is of regular occurrence in natural upland and bottomland tracts of trees, in tree claims and mature shelterbelts, and in partially wooded residential areas of suburbs, towns, and farmsteads. It frequently ranges out for short distances from these woodland types into adjoining areas of open habitat including prairie, cropland, brushland, and extensive lawns of suburban areas.
Nesting. Breeding season: Mid-April to late July; peak, early May to early July. Active courtship was observed as early as April 19 [1969] in Stutsman County (L. C. Haynes), and nest hole excavating was recorded as early as April 26 [1965] in Kidder County (RES). Egg dates (2 nests): May 27 [1968] in Sioux County (RES) and June 4 [1897] in Rolette County (E. T. Judd). Extreme nestling dates (12 nests): May 27 [1969] in Stutsman County (H. A. Doty) to July 15 [1909] in Bottineau County (V. Bailey). Extreme dates of dependent young out of the nest (5 records): July 1 [1915] in Benson County (R. Kellogg) to July 31 [1909] in Slope County (V. Bailey).
Nests are situated in excavated holes or cavities of dead tree snags, telephone poles, and fence posts, and in bird boxes with large openings. The height of six nest openings above the ground ranged from 4 to 40 feet, and averaged 15 feet.
Clutch size (4 nests): 5 to 11 eggs (mean, 7.2 eggs).
 |
| Figure 95. Breeding Range of Yellow-shafted Flicker. |
 |
|
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/bbofnd/species/4120.htm
Page Contact Information: Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Thursday, 03-Aug-2006 11:25:06 EDT
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]
