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Platte River Status: A fairly common migrant and locally uncommon nesting species. Occurrence dates at the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, extend from 24 April to 17 July. Tout (1947) recorded Wilson's phalarope only as a migrant in Lincoln County, present 21 April to 18 June, and 4-6 September. Rosche (1979) recorded this species during 6-14 May, and 19-20 August 1978 in the lower North Platte River Valley.

Breeding Range: Restricted almost exclusively to the Platte River Valley physiographic region where it is an uncommon nesting species. Undoubtedly occurs regularly on wetlands throughout the Sandhills region.

Breeding Population: The population in 1979-1980 was estimated at 2,000 breeding pairs.

Habitat: We found that wet sedge meadows (wet prairie) that are ungrazed or moderately grazed were the principal nest sites at Mormon Island. Highest mean breeding densities throughout the study area were recorded in prairie wetlands (10.1 pairs/km²), and in wet prairie (0.2 pairs/km²). Faanes (1982) described Wilson's phalarope as a fairly common nesting species on seasonal and semipermanent wetlands in central North Dakota. Stewart (1975) stated that among 438 Wilson's phalarope breeding pairs studied in North Dakota, 49% occurred on semipermanent wetlands and 39% used seasonal wetlands. We observed 2 Wilson's phalarope pairs on the North Platte sewage lagoons on 29 May 1979, suggesting at least limited use is made of that artificial habitat type.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: The extensive loss of wetland habitat in the Rainwater Basin area, coupled with wooded vegetation encroachment on wet meadows within the river channel have both negatively impacted this species.

Nesting Data: Lingle found a nest with 2 eggs in a wet meadow at Mormon Island on 7 June 1983. An adult was flushed from an empty nest bowl there on 7 June 1984. Benckeser (1950) found an adult Wilson's phalarope with three young in a marsh southwest of Brule, Keith County, on 12 June 1949. Egg dates from North Dakota range from 26 May to 8 July (Stewart 1975).