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Breeding Range. (Fig. 72). Definite breeding colonies have been recorded locally in the Turtle Mountain Region, Prairie Pothole Region, and on the Coteau Slope at the following locations: in the Turtle Mountains within Rolette County; in southeastern Rolette County on Long Lake; in Bottineau and McHenry Counties on the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge; in Ward County on the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge; in Ramsey County on Lake Alice, Sweetwater Lake, Dry Lake, and Devils Lake; in Nelson County on Stump Lake; in Burleigh County on Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge; in Kidder County on a lake between Lake Isabel and Lake Etta; in Emmons County about 8 miles north-northwest of Hazelton; in McIntosh County about 14 miles southeast of Lehr; and in Sargent County about 6 miles west-northwest of Cogswell. Recorded behavior of adults during the breeding season indicate that established colonies probably have also occurred in Cavalier, Towner, Burke, Dunn, McLean, and Richland Counties.

Due to unstable water conditions, many breeding sites are occupied only intermittently over a period of years, and great annual fluctuations in numbers of breeding pairs also are apparent. The size of some of the larger colonies is indicated by the following records:

Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge (M. C. Hammond)--Prior to 1935, great numbers nesting; 1935 and 1936 - no nesting due to drought; 1937 - about 4,000 adults nesting; 1938 - about 10,000 active nests; 1939 - about 20,000 active nests; 1942- about 62,000 active nests; 1943 - about 65,000 nesting pairs.

J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge--1938, first recorded nesting, 200-300 active nests (C. J. Henry); 1939, 1,500 active nests (P. A. Dumont); 1940, 50,000 to 60,000 active nests (C. J. Henry). Dry Lake, Ramsey County (Bishop egg collection catalog, Peabody Museum)--1901, about 5,000 nesting adults.

Lake between Lake Isabel and Lake Etta, Kidder County (Slade National Wildlife Refuge record file)--A large colony, composed of about 85,000 adults, present in 1946; in 1950, this colony consisted of about 750 pairs.

Breeding Habitat. Breeding colonies are located on large marshes or sloughs, particularly those that could be classified as seasonal or semipermanent lakes with semi-open emergent cover (cover type 2). They also occur in similar types of marshes that develop on shallow, river impoundments, managed for waterfowl. Colonies frequently include large numbers of closely associated nesting pairs of Black-crowned Night Herons.

Various types of emergent cover, either closed or semi-open, are utilized for nesting sites. These include hardstem bulrush, alkali bulrush, whitetop, and phragmites. Water depths within five colonies were recorded as 7 to 15 inches, 5 to 24 inches, 1 1/2 feet, 3 feet, and 3-4 feet, respectively. Job (1910) reported that one North Dakota colony was situated over water that was "neck deep" and required a boat to reach it.

Nesting. Breeding season: Early May to late July; peak, late May to mid-July. Nest-building was recorded as early as May 4 [1948] on the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge (M. C. Hammond). Extreme egg dates (hundreds of nests): May 23 [1901] to June 26 [1901] in Ramsey County (Bishop egg collection catalog, Peabody Museum). Newly hatched young were recorded as early as June 11 [1946] on the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge (C. J. Henry). Young birds on the wing were recorded as early as July 11 [1915] on Devils Lake (R. Kellogg).

Indicated clutch size (16 nests): 2 to 3 eggs; mean, 2.5 eggs. In 1942, the average hatch of about 62,000 nests at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge was believed to be about 3 young birds per nest (M. C. Hammond).

Figure 72. Breeding Range of Franklin's Gull.

Franklin's Gull hovering over nesting colony. Emmons County, June 1973 (photo by Ed Bry).