Natural History Calendar

Ring-necked pheasants are rearing broods.

Bald eagles are building or maintaining nests.

Great horned owls begin nesting.

Bald eagles are laying eggs.

Snow buntings depart for northern breeding grounds.

Canada geese spring migration.

Duck spring migration.

Sage grouse breeding season (peaks in late April).

Sharp-tailed grouse breeding season (peaks in mid-April).

Snow geese spring migration.

Western meadowlarks return to North Dakota.

Bald eagle eggs hatching.

Ring-necked pheasants males are crowing.

Ruffed grouse are drumming.

Long-billed curlews return to North Dakota.

Wild turkey breeding season.

American bittern return to North Dakota from their wintering grounds.

Long-billed curlews lay eggs.

Sedge wrens return from their wintering grounds.

Sharp-tailed grouse nesting season.

Western meadowlarks laying eggs.

Ring-necked pheasants are nesting.

Wild turkey are nesting.

Gray partridge nesting season.

Long-billed curlew eggs hatch.

Gray partridge nesting season.

Gray partridge and sharp-tailed grouse often use snow for thermal cover, and may be found burrowing and roosting under snow.

Sharp-tailed grouse brood rearing.

Wild turkey are rearing broods.

Long-billed curlew adult females migrate south for the winter.

Western meadowlark young fledge.

Long-billed curlew adult males migrate south for the winter shortly after adult females leave.

Western meadowlark females may attempt a second nest.

Bald eagle young take their first flights and are ready to fledge (leave the nest).

Long-billed curlew young migrate south for the winter after their parents have already left.

Sedge wrens are still singing, possibly attempting second nests.

American bittern depart for their wintering grounds.

Sharp-tailed grouse males displaying on leks (displaying on leks is triggered by photoperiod, so sharptails will display in the fall as well as spring).

Snow buntings come to the state to overwinter.

Western meadowlarks depart for southern wintering grounds.

Snowy owls may be found overwintering in the state.

Northern hawk owls, an uncommon visitor to ND, may be seen.

Sage grouse survival rates are relatively high in winter. Winter diet consists almost entirely of sagebrush buds and leaves.

Sharp-tailed grouse diet consists primarily of berries (buffalo berry, rose hips, snow berrires, etc) and buds (green ash, alder, chokecherry, etc) during winter months.

Sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge often use snow for thermal cover, and may be found burrowing and roosting under snow.

Coyotes are breeding and howling is at its peak.

Red fox breeding season.

Beaver breeding season.

Bobcat are breeding and juveniles are dispersing.

Striped skunk males begin leaving their winter dens in search of mates.

Raccoon breeding season.

Mink breeding season.

Red fox pups born.

River otter born.

Striped skunk breeding season.

Badger young are born.

Coyote pups are born.

Fisher born.

American Marten born.

Long-tailed weasels born.

Bobcat born.

Fisher breeding season (embryos delay implantation and development for 10 months).

Richardson's ground squirrels emerge from hibernation.

Coyote pups are emerging from dens.

River otter breeding season (embryos delay implantation for 8-9 months.

Bison calves born (~45 lbs at birth).

Mink breeding season.

Raccoon young are born.

Bighorn sheep lambs born (~8-10 lbs at birth).

Striped skunks born.

Moose calves born (~32 lbs at birth).

Beaver young are born.

Elk calves born (~37 lbs at birth).

Mull deer fawns born.

Pronghorn fawns born (~8 lbs at birth).

Red fox families communicate by "screaming".

White-tailed fawns born (~7 lbs at birth)..

American Marten breeding season (embryos delay implantation and development for 7 to 8 months).

Badger breeding season (embryos delay implantation and development for 7 months).

Bison breeding season.

Long-tailed weasel breeding season (embryos delay implantation and development for 8 months).

White-tailed fawns weaned by 10 weeks.

White-tailed fawns lose their spots.

Coyote juveniles are dispersing.

Elk breeding peaks.

Beaver caching food for the winter.

Black bears are hyperphagic (eating excessively in an attempt to put on enough fat to survive winter hibernation).

Moose breeding peaks.

Long-tailed weasels molt their tan summer pelt and grow in a white winter pelt.

Mule deer breeding season.

White-tailed deer breeding season.

Bighorn sheep breeding peaks.

Black bears are hibernating.

Striped skunks form communal dens but are not true hibernators.

Pronghorn breeding peaks.

Monarch butterfly annual migration begins in Mexico.

Monarch butterflies reach North Dakota.

Prairie crocus begin blooming.

Bluegill spawn late May and June when water temps near 22 C (71.6F). Large males build nests in colonies where they spawn and protect eggs. Some smaller males mimic females to fertilize eggs instead of nest building.