Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Breeding Range. (Fig. 128). Fairly common in the Turtle Mountains, in southeastern North Dakota (Richland, Sargent and Ransom Counties), along the Sheyenne River valley in Barnes County, and along the James River valley between Jamestown and LaMoure; uncommon and local in other portions of the Agassiz Lake Plain Region and Southern Drift Plain, on the Northeastern and Northwestern Drift Plains and along the Missouri River valley below Garrison Dam; rare elsewhere on the Coteau Slope, and on the Missouri Coteau, Missouri Slope, and Little Missouri Slope.
Breeding Habitat. The Eastern Bluebird is a forest edge species that occurs in areas where open woodland is interspersed with or adjacent to grazed or mowed grasslands. Natural habitats of this type are found along the margins of floodplain and upland deciduous forest. Corresponding habitats created by man occur commonly in residential areas and parks of towns and cities, on farmsteads, and along shelterbelts.
Nesting. Probable breeding season: Late April to early September; probable peak, early May to early July. Nest-building was recorded as early as April 24 [1964] in Stutsman County (RES). Egg dates (2 nests): June 3 [1915] in Richland County (V. Bailey) and July 22 [1917] in Richland County (Jensen 1918). Extreme dates of dependent young out of the nest (11 records): June 14 [1963] to September 3 [1960] in Stutsman County (RES).
Nests are commonly situated in bird boxes and in abandoned woodpecker holes or other cavities of dead trees, dead limbs of living trees, telephone poles, and wood fence posts. A bluebird nesting project was conducted at Mandan by F. Goldmann. In 1972, out of 236 nest houses, 45 were occupied by Eastern Bluebirds, and 121 young birds were fledged. This compared with 79 young birds from 217 houses in 1971; and no young from 103 houses in 1968.
Indicated clutch size (2 nests): 4 eggs in each nest.
 |
| Figure 128. Breeding Range of Eastern Bluebird. |
 |
|
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/bbofnd/species/7660.htm
Page Contact Information: Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Thursday, 03-Aug-2006 11:25:06 EDT
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]
