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Breeding Range. (Fig. 111). Fairly common along the Red, James, Mouse, and Missouri rivers and their tributaries; uncommon in the Turtle Mountains and Little Missouri badlands; uncommon and local in the vicinity of large wood-bordered ponds and lakes on the Northeastern and Southern Drift Plains, and in the deltaic sand areas of Richland and Ransom Counties.

Unlike the Bank Swallow which breeds in colonies, the Rough-winged Swallow normally occurs as scattered solitary pairs wherever appropriate habitat conditions are found.

Breeding Habitat. Generally found in the vicinity of vertical banks along wood-bordered permanent streams or at the margins of large wood-bordered permanent ponds and lakes. In the southwestern part of the state, this species also occurs in the vicinity of steep escarpments of severely eroded badlands, and in southeastern North Dakota, occasional pairs were found to frequent blowout areas of sand dunes near water.

Nesting. Breeding season: Early May to late July; peak, mid-May to mid-July. Extreme dates of active nests (8 nests): May 10 [1964] to July 15 [1961] in Stutsman County (RES). Extreme egg dates (4 nests): June 7 [1915] in Richland County (R. Kellogg) to June 26 [1917] in Richland County (Jensen 1918). Adults were feeding nestlings on July 15 [1961] in a nesting burrow along the James River in Stutsman County (RES). Seven broods of flying young were recorded, with extreme dates ranging from July 14 [1960] in Stutsman County to July 23 [1968] in Renville County and July 23 [1970] in Stutsman County (RES).

Nesting burrows are constructed in vertical banks along streams, ponds, and lakes, in steep eroded bluffs of badlands in southwestern North Dakota, and in vertical sides of sand blowouts in sand dune areas of the southeast.

A nest found on June 7, 1915 in Richland County contained three fresh eggs (R. Kellogg); and another nest found on June 26, 1917 in Richland County contained five heavily incubated eggs (Jensen 1918).

Figure 111. Breeding Range of Rough-winged Swallow.