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Breeding Range. (Fig. 172). Common throughout the Southwestern Slope Region; fairly common on the Southern Drift Plain, Northwestern Drift Plain, and Missouri Coteau; uncommon in the Agassiz Lake Plain Region, on the Northeastern Drift Plain, and in the Turtle Mountains.

Breeding Habitat. Especially characteristic of idle or lightly grazed tracts of mixed-grass prairie; occurs more sparingly on tracts that are more heavily grazed. Other natural habitats are occupied locally and include tall-grass prairie and scrub sage prairie. The more common plant species of mixed-grass prairie are: needle-and-thread, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, little bluestem, blue grama, and needleleaf sedge.

Certain types of disturbance habitats created by man also are commonly utilized. These include retired cropland, tame hayland, and weedy stubble fields. Principal plant species of retired cropland are alfalfa, sweetclover, smooth brome, intermediate wheatgrass, and crested wheatgrass. Tame hayfields were usually composed of alfalfa, smooth brome, or a mixture of the two. Prevalent weeds in stubble fields were sow-thistle, false ragweed, Canada thistle, field mustard, and quackgrass.

Nesting. Breeding season: Late May to mid-August; peak, early June to late July. Extreme egg dates (7 nests): May 30 [1917] in Richland County (Jensen 1918) to July 21 [1901] in Towner County (Bishop egg collection catalog, Peabody Museum). On June 25 [1974], a nest containing three small young and two eggs was found in Slope County (RES). Dependent young out of the nest were recorded as early as June 30 [1967] in Mountrail County, and on August 8 [1973], an excited adult with a beakful of insects was recorded in Kidder County (RES).

Three nests were situated on the ground in fairly dense herbaceous vegetation; two of these were in mixed-grass prairie and one was in an alfalfa hayfield. Predominant plant species surrounding the two prairie nests were: Kentucky bluegrass, green needlegrass, fringed sage, perennial ragweed, and silverleaf.

Indicated clutch size (6 nests): 4 to 5 eggs; mean, 4.8 eggs.

Figure 172. Breeding Range of Grasshopper Sparrow.