Range Expansion of the Pileated Woodpecker in North Dakota

Sightings west of the Agassiz Lake Plain and Pembina Hills still are infrequent (Fig. 4, Table 1). In a breeding bird census of 130 legal quarter-sections in 1967, Stewart and Kantrud (1972) did not record any pileated woodpeckers. Censuses were conducted in townships in all counties along the Red River, in the Turtle Mountains, near Devils Lake, and in the Sheyenne National Grassland. During the 1992 and 1993 breeding seasons, Igl and Johnson (1997) repeated Stewart and Kantrud's 1967 survey. One pileated woodpecker was observed in Pembina County (L. D. Igl, pers. comm.). In northeastern North Dakota, the first pileated woodpecker was documented west of the Agassiz Lake Plain and Pembina Hills in 1985 at Sullys Hill National Game Preserve, Benson County (G. B. Berkey, pers. comm.). In southeastern North Dakota, the first pileated woodpecker was documented west of the Agassiz Lake Plain in 1966 at Fort Ransom, Ransom County (G. B. Berkey, pers. comm.).

Turtle Mountains

The Turtle Mountains are heavily forested and dominated by quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) with secondary species of bur oak, green ash, balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), and paper birch (Betula papyrifera) (Stewart 1975). Eleven records of pileated woodpecker activity (three in the nonbreeding season, six in the breeding season, one year-round, one unknown) were reported in the Turtle Mountains. The breeding season was defined as March through August and the nonbreeding season from September through February. In seven of the sightings, one bird was seen during each visit. Excavations of cavities were reported in two records, and calling and drumming were observed in another record. Roosting and the presence of a group of four pileated woodpeckers were reported in one record. The May 1994, May 1997, February 1999, and April 2000 sightings occurred within 6.4 km of one another (R. E. Martin, pers. comm.). The pileated woodpecker might be resident in small numbers in the Turtle Mountains (Berkey 1994b). If so, the westernmost occurrence in North Dakota of resident pileated woodpeckers would be in the Turtle Mountains. The one sighting in Mandan, described below, is not considered to represent a resident population.

Devils Lake Area

The woodland community surrounding Devils Lake is dominated by bur oak, American elm, basswood, green ash, box elder, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, and paper birch (Stewart 1975). Twenty-two records of pileated woodpecker activity (8 in the nonbreeding season, 14 in the breeding season) have been reported in the Devils Lake area. A single bird was seen in each sighting except winter 1986 and July 1990, in which two birds were seen, and in the summers of 1991, 1992, and 1993, when numbers of woodpeckers were not recorded. The pileated woodpecker might be resident in small numbers in the Devils Lake area, as it is found regularly both at Sullys Hill and at Camp Grafton, Ramsey County (Berkey 1994b, Lambeth 1996).

Sheyenne River Valley

The Sheyenne River flows from northcentral to southeastern North Dakota, eventually discharging into the Red River north of Fargo (Fig. 1). Riparian vegetation is dominated by bur oak, hackberry, American elm, basswood, green ash, hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and quaking aspen (Stewart 1975). Forty-four records of pileated woodpecker activity (13 nonbreeding, 31 breeding) were reported along the Sheyenne River. Stewart (1975) wrote that the species "undoubtedly breeds … in the rich, wooded bottomlands along the Sheyenne River in northwestern Richland County and northeastern Ransom County." Numerous sightings in those counties attest to the likelihood of a breeding population. Most records of pileated woodpecker along the Sheyenne River Valley occurred within or near (within 16 km) the Sheyenne National Grassland in Richland and Ransom counties, and most observations in the Sheyenne National Grassland were near the Mirror Pool Wildlife Management Area. In addition to the sightings listed in Table 1 Bryan R. Stotts (U.S. Forest Service, Lisbon, North Dakota, pers. comm.) reported intermittently seeing family groups in the Mirror Pool area since the late 1990's.

The five northernmost records within the Sheyenne River Valley occurred in Griggs (Lambeth 1994) and Barnes counties (Ellingson 2000; N. R. Shook, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Valley City, North Dakota, pers. comm.). Five records exist from Fort Ransom, located on the Sheyenne River about 30 km west of the Agassiz Lake Plain. The counties in which seven records originated are unknown.

James River Valley

The James River flows south of, and roughly parallel to, the Sheyenne River but enters South Dakota in Dickey County. Riparian vegetation is dominated by American elm, green ash, and box elder (Stewart 1975). Three records (one in the nonbreeding season, two in the breeding season) of pileated woodpecker activity along the James River have been reported, two in or near Jamestown, Stutsman County, and one in LaMoure, LaMoure County.

Missouri River Valley

The Missouri River flows from northwestern to southcentral North Dakota and riparian vegetation is dominated by cottonwood (Populus deltoides) (Stewart 1975). The only sighting of the pileated woodpecker along the Missouri River occurred in Mandan, Morton County, where in November 1992, P. Y. Carlson observed a pair (Berkey 1993b).