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Platte River Status: A common migrant and uncommon summer resident. Dates of occurrence on the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, range from 12 March to 27 September. Dates of occurrence in Lincoln County are 14 April to 24 October (Tout 1947). Apparently a rare spring migrant (6 May 1978) and fall migrant (11 September to 14 October) in the lower North Platte River Valley (Rosche 1979).

Breeding Range: Uncommon and local summer resident in the Platte River Valley and Eastern Plain; highly local on the Dissected Plain, Western Plain, and in the Sandhills.

Breeding Population: The 1979-80 estimated population of 5,125 pairs made up 0.2% of the total breeding bird numbers in the study area.

Habitat: We found the highest mean breeding densities in residential areas (2.5 pairs/km²) and in lowland forest (0.2 pairs/km²). Most chipping sparrows in our study area were found in ornamental coniferous plantings in residential areas. In habitats away from human habitation we found chipping sparrows in shelterbelts and heavily wooded canyons where Rocky Mountain juniper was the predominant vegetation type. Characteristic nesting habitat in North Dakota includes deciduous woodland, bottomland forest along valley floors, ponderosa pine forest, and similar vegetation types (Stewart 1975).

Effect of Habitat Alteration: Chipping sparrow has benefited from the expansion of the human population in the Platte River Valley through the establishment of ornamental plantings that are readily used for nest site establishment.

Nesting Data: T. E. Labedz found several chipping sparrow nests near North Platte, Lincoln County, during May 1986. Lingle observed a nest with three young about to fledge on 28 May 1988 in Grand Island. North Dakota egg dates are from 25 May to 20 June (Stewart 1975).