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Breeding Range. (Fig. 103). Common in the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills; locally common in the Agassiz Lake Plain Region, and on the Northeastern Drift Plain and Coteau Slope; fairly common on the Southern and Northwestern Drift Plains, and Missouri Coteau; uncommon on the Missouri Slope and Little Missouri Slope.

The Willow Flycatcher is generally considered to belong to a species complex or superspecies that also includes the closely related Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Brewster. Positive identification of these two forms is especially difficult, and there is at least a possibility that the Alder Flycatcher may also breed in the state, particularly in the extreme northeastern portion. Some of the songs of territorial males do seem to be somewhat intermediate between the typical "fitz-bew" song of the Willow Flycatcher and the typical "fee-bee-o" song of the Alder Flycatcher.

Breeding Habitat. Willow Flycatchers are largely restricted to areas that contain thickets or open groves of small trees and tall shrubs. Natural habitats of this type occur as scattered patches on the prairie, on lowland swales, or as margins of woodlands. These are composed predominantly of such species as choke cherry, hawthorn, Saskatoon serviceberry, wild plum, bullberry, and shrub willows. Other thicket and open grove habitats that are commonly utilized have been created by man and are found as ornamental plantings on farmsteads, or as shelterbelts and wind breaks. Some of the more common introduced woody plants growing in these situations include caragana, Russian olive, lilac, Tartarian honeysuckle, golden willow, and Chinese elm.

Nesting. Breeding season: Mid-June to early August; peak, late June to late July. Nest-building was recorded as early as June 16 [1962] in Stutsman County (RES). Extreme egg dates (4 nests): July 2 [1931] in Stutsman County (Johnson 1932) to July 17 [1895] in Benson County (Rolfe 1897b). Nestling dates (2 nests): July 18 [1972] in Stutsman County (G. R. Miller) and July 27 [1962] in Stutsman County (RES). Dependent flying young were recorded on July 31 [1966] in Bottineau County (P. F. Springer) and on August 8 [1973] in Kidder County (RES).

On July 17, 1895 in Benson County, a nest was found in an upright crotch of a hawthorn, 4 feet above the ground (Rolfe 1897b). On July 10, 1962, another nest was situated in a choke cherry, 3 feet above the ground in Stutsman County (RES).

Indicated clutch size (6 nests): 2 to 4 eggs; mean, 3.2 eggs.

Figure 103. Breeding Range of Willow Flycatcher.