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Breeding Range. (Fig 73). During the past 20 years (1951 - 1970), active breeding colonies have been established at the following locations: Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Burleigh and Kidder Counties (refuge record file); Chase Lake in Stutsman County (Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge record file); Stony Lake in Kidder County (A. D. Kruse); Peterson and Williams Lakes in McLean County (R. N. Randall); East Devils Lake in Ramsey County (RES); J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in McHenry County (refuge record file); Willow Lake in Rolette County (R. E. Stewart, Jr.); Upper Lostwood Lake in Burke County (Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge record file); and a large alkali lake in Divide County, about 2 miles north-northeast of Westby (RES). Former colonies have occurred at the following locations: on Devils Lake in Ramsey County in 1892 (Wood 1923), 1894 (Bishop egg collection catalog, Peabody Museum), 1898 (Cooke 1915, and Job 1899), and 1919 (Judd 1917); on Devils Lake in Benson County (on small island west of Graham's Island) in 1897 (E. S. Bryant); on Stump Lake in Nelson County in 1893 (Cooke 1915), 1898 (Job 1898), 1901 (Bent 1921), 1902 (Bishop egg collection catalog, Peabody Museum), 1910 and 1913 (A. Eastgate), and in 1920 (Wood 1923); and on Lake Harriet in Burleigh County in 1929 (R. Reid).

Some idea of the range in size of various colonies is indicated by the following records:

Chase Lake, Stutsman County

1924--Several hundred adults (Bennett 1926).
1947--800 young raised (N. B. Nelson).
1948--700 young raised (N. B. Nelson).
1949--900 young raised (N. B. Nelson).
1963--About 500 pairs (RES).

East Devils Lake, Ramsey County

1968--About 400 pairs (RES).

Large alkali lake, Divide County (2 miles north-northeast of Westby)

1966--About 55 pairs (RES).

Lake Williams, McLean County

1957--About 750 pairs (R. N. Randall).
1966--About 150 pairs (RES).

Peterson Lake, McLean County

1957--About 1,500 pairs (R. N. Randall).

Lake Harriet, Burleigh County

1929--About 165 active nests (Stevens 1930).

Stump Lake, Nelson County

1898--Colonies on three islands containing 200-300 pairs, 55 pairs, and a few pairs, respectively (Job 1898).
1901--Two colonies of 100 pairs each (Bent 1921).

Breeding Habitat. Colonies are located on isolated, sparsely vegetated islands in large lakes and stream impoundments. Adults range out from these colonies for 35 miles or more in order to secure food along shorelines of lakes and reservoirs, in garbage dumps of towns, and on various cropland fields.

Nesting. Breeding season: Mid-May to early August; peak, late May to mid-July. Egg dates (hundreds of nests): May 17 [1892] on Devils Lake (Wood 1923) to June 27 [1898] in Nelson County (Job 1898). Dates of flightless young (hundreds of young). June 8 [1966] to July 28 [1962] in Stutsman County (RES). The earliest record of young birds on the wing was reported by Vernon Bailey during the period July 11-20 [1913] in the Des Lacs - Lostwood area of northwestern North Dakota.

Nests are situated on the ground on barren, sparsely vegetated island sites. The usual full clutch contains 3 eggs. Occasionally, completed sets of 2 and 4 eggs occur.

Figure 73. Breeding Range of Ring-billed Gull.

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Breeding colony of Ring-billed Gulls. McLean County, June 1971 (photo by Ed Bry).

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