Roadsides receive almost continuous nesting use from April through August as shown by examples listed. Disturbance of roadside cover by early mowing, farm tillage, grazing, "blanket" spraying, or vehicle and tractor encroachment during the peak nesting months (May, June, July) will significantly lower production for species that use roadsides for nesting.
Mammals: cottontail rabbit, white-tailed jackrabbit, short-tailed shrew, woodchuck, meadow vole, meadow jumping mouse, western harvest mouse, prairie white-footed mouse, pocket gopher, eastern mole, mink, muskrat, thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Franklin's ground squirrel, badger, red fox, raccoon, striped skunk, and spotted skunk.
Roadsides also provide the right combination of abundant food and cover for birds that nest in cavities or in trees near roads. The eastern bluebird and American kestrel commonly use natural cavities or nest boxes next to grassy roadsides. The brown thrasher, eastern kingbird, robin, and common edges such as those found along thoroughfares.
Birds: ring-necked pheasant, gray (Hungarian) partridge, mallard, blue-winged teal, pintail, shoveler, gadwall, common yellowthroat, dickcissel, western meadowlark, red-winged blackbird, mourning dove, bobolink, American goldfinch, killdeer, American bittern, upland sandpiper, eastern field sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, savannah sparrow, vesper sparrow, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie chicken.
Song Birds and Game Birds: Where and When They Nest
Species | Normal Nesting Period | Nesting Days per Brood* | Number of Broods Each Year | Nest Description |
Pheasant | Mid-April through August | 35-50 | 1 | Shallow depression on ground, sparsely lined with grass |
Hungarian Partridge | Mid-May through August | 35-50 | 1 | Shallow depression on ground, lined with grass. |
Mallard | April through July | 35-50 | 1 | Hollow on ground, lined with grass and down. |
Goldfinch | Late June through August | 27-37 | 1 | Cup of woven grass and plant down in weeds or small trees. |
Bobolink | Mid-May through July | 26-35 | 1 | Shallow cup of dead grass on ground. |
Meadowlark | Late April through mid-July | 28-34 | 2 | Domed nest of woven grasses with side opening |
Mourning Dove | Late April through early September | 21-28 | 2-3 | Loose platform of twigs on ground or in tree |
Dickcissel | Early May through July | 21-28 | 2 | Loose cup of woven grass on ground or raised in grass tussock or small bush. |
Grasshopper Sparrow | May through mid-August | 24-27 | 2-3 | Hollow cup of grass, rim level with ground or slightly raised. |
Vesper Sparrow | May through early August | 23-32 | 2 | Bulky cup of woven grasses, in shallow depression on ground or in grass tussock. |
Common Yellowthroat | May through early August | 24-28 | 1-2 | Bulky cup of dead grasses with partial hood, built just above ground in grass tussock or small shrubs. |
*Approximate length of time from first egg laid until young leave nest. Nesting periods may be extended if birds are forced to re-nest because nest is destroyed or abandoned.