Part 17

Mountain Bluebird—Fairly common summer resident of scrub prairie, dry slopes, and wooded coulees in the badlands of the western third. Uncommon to rare summer resident of forest-edge (usually near aspen stands) habitats in the Turtle Mountains and on J. Clark Salyer Refuge (sandhills area). Fairly common to uncommon migrant on prairies and agricultural areas throughout the remainder of the western half. Rare early-spring migrant over the rest of the state. Should be fairly easy to find in both units of the Roosevelt Memorial (especially along the Caprock Coulee Trail in the north unit), Little Missouri Park, the sandhills area of J. Clark Salyer Refuge, and throughout the Kenmare area during the second half of March.

Townsend’s Solitaire—Rare winter visitor/resident of wooded areas throughout the western half. Prefers deciduous river bottoms (Little Missouri River), coniferous slopes (badlands), and conifer stands in and around towns and cities. Look for it anywhere in the badlands or at the Northern Great Plains Research Station in Mandan.

Sprague’s Pipit—Fairly common but local summer resident of mixed-grass prairies and grassy lake borders throughout most of the western and central portions, but uncommon to rare in the eastern third. Uncommon migrant throughout. Should be easy to find at such places as Des Lacs, Lostwood, J. Clark Salyer (grasslands tour), Audubon, and Arrowwood Refuges; Longspur Pasture; and in appropriate habitat over much of Mountrail, Kidder, and Stutsman Counties.

Bohemian Waxwing—Fairly common but sporadic winter visitor to wooded habitats and residential areas throughout. In winters when present, often found in large flocks in bottomland forest, wood lots, city parks, crab-apple orchards, and residential areas. In fact it can be found anywhere where there are fruit-bearing trees or shrubs. During non-invasion years; can be impossible to find.

Northern Shrike—Uncommon winter visitor to prairies, agricultural areas, and open woodlands throughout. Often hangs out around feeding stations and picks off smaller birds. One of its favorite habitats is a dry slough with lots of willow growth. Here it can find an abundance of shrews, voles, and mice. Likes to perch in conspicuous places.

Bell’s Vireo—Rare and local summer resident of wooded bottomlands along the Missouri River at Bismarck. Try the Sibley Island area. Has a very distinctive “hurried-up” song, which is useful in locating this rather drab bird.

Yellow-throated Vireo—Fairly common to uncommon summer resident of mature deciduous forests throughout the eastern half. Look for it throughout the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills, on J. Clark Salyer Refuge, at Stump Lake and Turtle River Parks, Sully’s Hill Game Preserve, Lindenwood Park, and along bottomland forests of the James (in Stutsman County) and Sheyenne (in Barnes, Ransom, and Richland Counties) Rivers.

Red-eyed Vireo—Common summer resident of deciduous forests throughout. Should be easy to find at such places as Sully’s Creek and Turtle River Parks; along the river in both units of the Roosevelt Memorial; Des Lacs, Upper Souris, J. Clark Salyer, and Tewaukon Refuges; throughout the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills; Stump Lake Park; Sully’s Hill Game Preserve; the Sibley Island area at Bismarck; Lindenwood Park; and along stretches of the James (Stutsman County), Sheyenne (Barnes, Ransom, and Richland Counties), and Red Rivers.

Philadelphia Vireo—Uncommon summer resident of aspen forests of the Turtle Mountains. Look for it at Lake Metigoshe State Park and the Wakopa Game Management Area. Uncommon migrant through deciduous woodlands throughout the rest of the eastern half. In migration look for it at Turtle River and Stump Lake Parks, Sully’s Hill Game Preserve, J. Clark Salyer Refuge, Lindenwood Park, Icelandic Park, Gunlogson Arboretum, Tongue River Game Management Area, in all appropriate habitat in the Pembina Hills, and along the bottomland forests of the James, Sheyenne, and Red Rivers.

Migrant warblers—Occur in wooded habitats, shelterbelts, and residential areas throughout. More species and individuals can be found in the eastern half. The greatest diversity of migrant warblers usually occurs along the Red River at Fargo, where one may see as many as twenty species in one day. The species which regularly occur as migrants (some may nest) over the eastern half of the state include Black-and-white, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Yellow, Magnolia, Cape May, Yellow-rumped (Myrtle), Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Palm, Connecticut, Mourning, Wilson’s, and Canada Warblers; Ovenbird; Northern Waterthrush; and American Redstart. Other species which can be seen in the east but with less regularity are Prothonotary, Golden-winged, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue, and Cerulean Warblers. In addition, the Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler, MacGillivray’s Warbler, and Yellow-breasted Chat can be found in the western half. The peak movements of warblers usually occur in mid-May and September.

Chestnut-sided Warbler—Uncommon to rare summer resident of deciduous forest edges and secondary growth in the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills. Fairly common to uncommon migrant throughout the eastern third; rare farther west.

Ovenbird—Common migrant and fairly common to uncommon summer resident of mature deciduous forests (especially bottomland forest) in scattered areas throughout. Look for it in summer along the Little Missouri River in both units of the Roosevelt Memorial (check the campgrounds and picnic areas), at Sully’s Creek and Little Missouri Parks, Tasker’s Coulee, J. Clark Salyer Refuge, throughout the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills, Sully’s Hill Game Preserve, Stump Lake Park, along the Missouri River at Bismarck (Sibley Island area), and in the bottomland forests of the Sheyenne River in Ransom and Richland Counties.

Northern Waterthrush—Fairly common to uncommon summer resident of wood-bordered bogs, swamps, streams, and lakes in the Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills, and on the south side of Devils Lake. Fairly common migrant through similar habitat over most of the state.

Mourning Warbler—Uncommon summer resident of forests containing an abundance of secondary growth in the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills. Fairly common to uncommon migrant over the remainder of the eastern half; rare in the western half.

Bobolink—Fairly common summer resident of tall and mid-grass prairies, alfalfa and other hayfields, and retired croplands throughout. Easy to find at almost any prairie area. Slightly harder to find in the southwest quarter but try Bowman-Haley and Lake Ilo Refuges, and meadows and alfalfa fields along the Missouri River in Morton County.

Western Meadowlark—Common to abundant summer resident (a few winter) of open country throughout. This is the state bird of North Dakota and is the only meadowlark present. If you miss this one, you are birding with your eyes and ears closed!

Yellow-headed Blackbird—Common summer resident of cattail and bulrush marshes and lake edges throughout. Less common in the southwest quarter. Hard to miss at such places as Kelly’s Slough, the marshes around Burnstad, Rush Lake, and Des Lacs, Lostwood, Upper Souris, J. Clark Salyer, Audubon, Lake Ilo, Bowman-Haley, Long Lake, Slade, Arrowwood, and Tewaukon Refuges.

Orchard Oriole—Fairly common to uncommon summer resident of forest edges, farmyards, shelterbelts, orchards, and residential areas throughout the southern half. Uncommon and local in similar habitat throughout the northern half. Some specific spots include wooded ravines and bottomland forest edges in the south unit of the Roosevelt Memorial, Sully’s Creek Park, the residential areas of Kenmare, the wooded area near the Des Lacs Refuge headquarters, the Sibley Island area at Bismarck, wooded draws surrounding Lake Ashtabula in Barnes County, and at Clausen Springs.

Northern Oriole—The predominant race, the Baltimore Oriole, is a fairly common summer resident of deciduous woodlands, shelterbelts, farmyards, and residential areas throughout the eastern two-thirds (uncommon to rare west of Bismarck). Not hard to find. The other race, the Bullock’s Oriole, is very restricted. It is uncommon and local in riparian stands of cottonwoods in Billings, Slope, and Bowman Counties. Look for it at Sully’s Creek Park, in the residential areas of Marmarth and Medora, along the river and at the campgrounds and picnic grounds in the south unit of the Roosevelt Memorial, and along wooded portions of the Little Missouri River south of Marmarth.

Rusty Blackbird—Uncommon migrant and uncommon to rare winter visitor to bottomland forests, wood lots, and farmyards throughout.

Brewer’s Blackbird—Fairly common summer resident and uncommon to rare winter visitor of open country throughout. Least common in the south-central portion. Not hard to find.

Common Grackle—Common to fairly common summer resident and rare winter visitor of forest edges, farmlands, and residential areas throughout. Easy to find almost anywhere.

Scarlet Tanager—Uncommon summer resident of mature deciduous forests throughout the eastern quarter. Rare breeder in the bottomland forests along the Missouri River at Bismarck. Uncommon migrant throughout the eastern third. Look for it in the Pembina Hills, at Gunlogson Arboretum, Stump Lake Park, Turtle River Park, and along the bottomland forests of the Red, Pembina, Tongue, and Sheyenne (especially in Ransom and Richland Counties) Rivers.

Northern Cardinal—Uncommon permanent resident of brushy tangles in wooded areas along the Red River at Fargo. In summer it is easiest to see at Oak Grove Park. In winter it may be observed at feeding stations along the river.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak—Fairly common summer resident of mature deciduous forests throughout the eastern half. Commonly seen in migration west to Bismarck. Look for it at Oak Grove and Lindenwood Parks in Fargo, Turtle River and Stump Lake Parks, Sully’s Hill Game Preserve, in the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills, the Gunlogson Arboretum, J. Clark Salyer and Tewaukon Refuges, Clausen Springs, and in the bottomland forests of the James, Red, and Sheyenne Rivers.

Black-headed Grosbeak—Fairly common to uncommon summer resident of mature deciduous forests bordering the Missouri and Little Missouri Rivers in the western half. Fairly easy to find in the Sibley Island area at Bismarck, at Sully’s Creek and Little Missouri Parks, in the residential areas of Medora and Marmarth, and along the river in both units of the Roosevelt Memorial (especially Squaw Creek campgrounds/picnic grounds in the north unit).

Blue Grosbeak—Rare spring and summer visitor (and possible breeder) to forest edges, prairie thickets, shelterbelts, and agricultural areas throughout. Most likely in the Little Missouri badlands.

Indigo Bunting—Fairly common summer resident of deciduous forests throughout the eastern third. Uncommon breeder along the Missouri River at Bismarck. Look for this striking bird throughout the Pembina Hills, at Turtle River and Stump Lake Parks, Sully’s Hill Game Preserve, Oak Grove and Linden wood Parks in Fargo, along the Red River from Pembina County to Richland County, along the James River in Stutsman County, and in the Sibley Island area at Bismarck. The latter area overlaps the range of the Lazuli Bunting, and you may see mated pairs and hybrids.