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Platte River Status: An uncommon migrant and summer resident across the study area. Tout (1947) stated than an unidentified wood-pewee species was very rare in Lincoln County, known only as a migrant with an additional July record. Rosche (1979) failed to record this species in the lower North Platte River Valley. Short (1961) found eastern wood-pewee nesting as far west as Big Springs, Deuel County.

Breeding Range: Restricted almost exclusively to the Platte River Valley west to Deuel and Garden Counties. We recorded this species at three locations on the Dissected Plain and one location on the Eastern Plain away from the Platte River.

Breeding Population: The population in 1979-1980 was estimated at 380 breeding pairs.

Habitat: We recorded eastern wood-peewee only in lowland forest where the mean density was 2.7 pairs/km². Faanes (1983) found eastern wood-pewee an uncommon nesting species in areas adjacent to extensive tracts of floodplain forest along the Missouri River in western North Dakota. Faanes and Andrew (1983) found nesting eastern wood-pewee most numerous in mature quaking aspen forest in northeastern North Dakota. Beals (1960) reported that highest nesting densities of eastern wood-pewee in northern Wisconsin were in mature deciduous forest. Bond (1957) found that mature xeric deciduous forest supported highest breeding densities of eastern wood-pewee in southern Wisconsin.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: Establishment of wooded vegetation within the Platte River channel has benefited this species through facilitating its westward expansion across central Nebraska. Stauffer and Best (1980) reported that eastern wood- pewee was a specialist in its selection of nest sites. Such species are intolerant of a reduction in preferred nesting substrate.

Nesting Data: We have no confirmed records of nests of eggs from the study area. Kansas egg dates are from 1 June to 20 July (Johnsgard 1979).