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Breeding Range. (Fig. 99). Common on the Northeastern, Southern, and Northwestern Drift Plains, and on the Coteau Slope; fairly common in the Agassiz Lake Plain Region, in the Turtle Mountains, and on the Missouri Coteau and Little Missouri Slope; uncommon on the Missouri Slope.

Apparently, the distribution and abundance of breeding Western Kingbirds have undergone drastic changes since the period of exploration in the 1800's. In 1873, Coues (1878) did not record this species during his extensive investigations of summer bird life along the 49th parallel, extending from Pembina to the Mouse River country. In the vicinity of Cando in Towner County, this species apparently was not present prior to 1892 (Judd 1893), but by 1910 (Judd 1917) it equaled the Eastern Kingbird in numbers. Allen (1874) reported that during his expedition in the summer of 1873 from Fort Rice westward to the Montana line, Western Kingbirds were exceedingly abundant throughout wherever timber occurred. During the summer of 1874, this species was found to be very abundant along the Little Missouri River, one or more pairs being seen in every wooded ravine (Grinnell 1875).

Breeding Habitat. Especially characteristic of edge habitats created by man, including margins of tree claims, shelterbelts, hedgerows, orchards, and partially wooded residential areas of farms and towns. Natural habitats include margins of woodlands and thickets of small trees and tall shrubs. During 1901 in the Devils Lake area, along the Sheyenne River toward the south, and in Nelson and Steele Counties, Bent (1901a) found that Western Kingbirds were universally conspicuous in or near timber. In the vicinity of Grafton in Walsh County, Williams (1926) noted that this species was usually found near cottonwood trees. Lincoln (1925) reported that they were always found around buildings or trees.

Nesting. Breeding season: Early June to late July; peak, mid-June to mid-July. Extreme egg dates (17 nests): June 12 [1902] in Nelson County (Bishop egg collection catalog, Peabody Museum) to July 16 [1892] in Towner County (Judd 1893). A nest with three nearly fledged young was observed on July 22 [1918] in McLean County (Gabrielson and Jewett 1924), and three young were flushed from a nest on July 26 [1971] in Stutsman County (RES). Dependent fledged young, out of the nest, were recorded as early as July 7 [1967] in Dickey County (RES).

Nests are situated in a variety of trees as shown by the following records: American elm, four nests; bur oak, four nests; box elder, one nest; cottonwood, one nest; and Chinese elm, one nest. The height above ground of 10 nests ranged from 5 to 25 feet and averaged about 13 feet. In 1917 in the vicinity of Wahpeton, Jensen (1918) found that all nests were placed in lower dead limbs of cottonwoods between 10 and 30 feet above ground. In 1892, Judd (1893) found two nests that were situated on artificial structures in Towner County. One nest was placed in an old binder within 10 rods of an active school house, and the other nest was built on a windmill pump.

Indicated clutch size (8 nests): 3 to 6 eggs; mean, 4.5 eggs.

Figure 99. Breeding Range of Western Kingbird.