Red-headed Woodpecker—Fairly common to uncommon summer resident of open woodlands and agricultural areas (shelter belts, orchards, farmyards, etc.) throughout (range in the northwest is limited). Look for it in Lindenwood Park (Fargo), the Sibley Island area in Bismarck, Sully’s Creek Park, the Pembina Hills, Turtle River Park, and in the bottomlands of the James, Red, and Sheyenne Rivers.
Eastern Kingbird—Common summer resident of open areas throughout. Nests in hedgerows, shelterbelts, woodlots, farmyards, prairie thickets, and along the edges of extensive woodlands. Commonly seen perched on barbed-wire fences along the highways. Hard to miss.
Western Kingbird—Common summer resident throughout. Can be found in much the same habitat as the Eastern. However, the Western is often found in more wooded areas such as open bottomland forests and residential areas. Even then it is still basically an edge-habitat species. Hard to miss.
Great Crested Flycatcher—Fairly common summer resident of mature deciduous forests throughout the eastern half. Uncommon to rare in the bottomland forests of the Missouri River near Bismarck-Mandan. Look for it in places such as J. Clark Salyer Refuge (uncommon), throughout the Turtle Mountain and Pembina Hills, Turtle River Park, Sully’s Hill Game Preserve, Stump Lake Park, Little Yellowstone Park, and in the bottomland forests of the James ([Stutsman] County), Sheyenne ([Barnes], [Ransom], and [Richland] Counties), and Red (try especially at Lindenwood and Oak Grove Parks in Fargo) Rivers.
Say’s Phoebe—Uncommon summer resident of badlands, sharply eroded buttes, and agricultural areas throughout the western half. Rare east of J. Clark Salyer Refuge. Prefers badlands-type habitat, but also nests under the eaves of farm buildings and under small bridges. Look for it in either unit of the Roosevelt Memorial, at Little Missouri and Sully’s Creek Parks, along the roads going south from Marmarth and Rhame in [Bowman] County, along Highway 1806 in the badlands area south of Mandan ([Morton] County), and near Kenmare.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher—Rare migrant in wooded areas throughout the eastern half. Try the Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills, Turtle River State Park, Sully’s Hill Game Preserve, and Lindenwood and Oak Grove Parks.
Willow Flycatcher—Fairly common to uncommon summer resident of shelterbelts, prairie thickets and swales, and wood edges. You may hear its distinctive “FITZ-bew” call often before actually seeing the bird. In areas where the Least Flycatcher is found, song is probably the only safe way to separate the two, although the Least is seldom found in prairie areas. Look for the Willow Flycatcher throughout the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills, in edge habitat along the James and Sheyenne Rivers, at Sully’s Creek Park, and on Bowman-Haley, Lake Ilo, Lostwood, Des Lacs, Upper Souris, J. Clark Salyer, Arrowwood, and Slade Refuges.
Alder Flycatcher—Uncommon to rare migrant through wooded areas in the eastern third. May nest in the Pembina Hills. This species was formerly considered conspecific with the Willow Flycatcher as the Traill’s Flycatcher. Safely separable from other members of the genus only by song, which sounds like “fee-BEE-o”.
Least Flycatcher—Common summer resident of deciduous forests and wooded farm habitats (like orchards and shelterbelts) throughout. Less common in the western half (with the exception of the Kenmare area). Look for it at such places as Sully’s Creek Park; the campgrounds in both units of the Roosevelt Memorial; wooded portions of Lake Ilo, Des Lacs, Lostwood, Upper Souris, J. Clark Salyer, Arrowwood, and Tewaukon Refuges; Tasker’s Coulee; throughout the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills; Turtle River Park; Stump Lake Park; Sully’s Hill Game Preserve; Clausen Springs; and along the bottomland forests of the Missouri, James, Red, and Sheyenne Rivers.
Eastern Pewee—Common to fairly common summer resident of wooded areas throughout the eastern two-thirds. Uncommon in the western edge of this area along the Missouri River at Bismarck, and on wooded portions of Des Lacs and Upper Souris Refuges. Look for it throughout the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills; on J. Clark Salyer and Tewaukon Refuges; at Turtle River Park; Stump Lake Park; Sully’s Hill Game Preserve; and along wooded bottomlands of the James, Sheyenne, and Red (try Lindenwood and Oak Grove Parks) Rivers.