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Breeding Range. (Fig. 150). Common (locally abundant) in the Turtle Mountains, and throughout the Prairie Pothole Region; fairly common locally in the Agassiz Lake Plain Region and on the Coteau Slope; uncommon and local on the Missouri Slope and Little Missouri Slope.

Breeding Habitat. Deep-marsh zones of natural ponds and lakes and shallow river impoundments, particularly those dominated by cattails, hardstem bulrush, slender bulrush, and river bulrush; also occurs in stands of phragmites, and occasionally in mature stands of whitetop and slough sedge.

Nesting. Breeding season: Early May to early August; peak, mid-May to mid-July. A newly completed nest without eggs was found on the early date of May 6 [1965] in Kidder County (RES). Extreme egg dates (144 nests): May 10 [1963] to July 13 [1962] in Stutsman County (H. A. Kantrud, RES). Extreme nestling dates (28 nests): May 27 [1964] to July 20 [1962] in Stutsman County (RES). Extreme dates of dependent young out of the nest (17 records): June 15 [1965] in Kidder County to August 10 [1961] in Dickey County (RES).

Nest sites were recorded for 104 nests. Of these, 55 percent were situated in hardstem bulrush, 39 percent in cattails, 3 percent in whitetop, 1 percent in softstem bulrush, 1 percent in river bulrush, and 1 percent in alkali bulrush. Water depths at 79 nest sites ranged from 3 to 32 inches and averaged 18 inches. The height of nest rims above the water surface (82 nests) ranged from 6 to 30 inches and averaged 18 inches.

Indicated clutch size (109 nests): 3 to 7 eggs; mean, 3.7 eggs.

Figure 150. Breeding Range of Yellow-headed Blackbird.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds