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Platte River Status: A rare and very local migrant and summer resident. Tout (1947) stated that the status of Bewick's wren in Lincoln County was uncertain.

Breeding Range: Apparently restricted to the Platte River Valley physiographic region during the nesting season.

Breeding Population: The population was estimated at 30 nesting pairs in 1979-1980.

Habitat: We found a mean nesting density of <0.1 pairs/km² in lowland forest. Riparian woodland and adjacent thickets are important nesting habitat in western Kansas (Rising 1974). Johnsgard (1979) reported that habitat occupied by Bewick's wren across the Great Plains includes open woodlands, brushy habitats, farmsteads, and residential areas.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: Because Bewick's wren occurs in such small numbers and because its range is extremely limited within the study area, we believe that habitat alteration has produced no measureable impact on this species.

Nesting Data: We have no confirmed records of nests or young from the Platte River Valley. Jones (1944) described the probable nesting of this wren near Hastings, Adams County in 1944. Although a pair was present 16 May to 23 August, and was seen and heard daily through June, no nest or young were found. Johnsgard (1979) reported egg dates in Kansas ranging from 21 March to 10 July.