Icterus spurius spurius Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant and breeder statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM8770, 14 Jun 1898 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Three subspecies have been recognized at times and by various authors (Scharf and Kren 2022): nominate spurius, breeding throughout eastern US north to Canada, fuertesi, breeding in eastern Mexico, and phillipsi, […]
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
Icteria virens virens, I. v. auricollis Status: Uncommon, locally common, regular breeder and spring and fall migrant west and central, rare east. Documentation: Specimens: auricollis, UNSM ZM6909, 3 Jun 1901 Monroe Canyon, Sioux Co; virens, UNSM ZM10757, 15 May 1909 Roca, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Recent genetic studies resulted in assigning of this species to its […]
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
Sturnella magna magna Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant east and central, uncommon west. Common regular breeder southeast, locally common western Sandhills, uncommon elsewhere except rare casual southwest. Rare casual winter visitor southeast. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6952, 2 Mar 1901 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: There are 14 recognized subspecies, three of which occur north […]
SCOTT’S ORIOLE
Icterus parisorum Status: Rare casual summer visitor central. Documentation: Description: 20-24 Jun 1975 Hall Co (Stoppkotte 1975; Brogie 1998). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Summer: There are eight reports, two, both adult males, acceptably documented: 20-24 Jun 1975 Hall Co (cited above) 29 Jun 2004 Buffalo Co (Brogie 2005). The six […]
[AUDUBON’S ORIOLE]
Icterus graduacauta Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: Four subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022), only one occurring in the US: audubonii, resident from south Texas south into Mexico. Comments: A description furnished by the observer to the NOURC of one in McPherson Co 7 Jun 1985 was not sufficient to confirm the identification as […]
LECONTE’S SPARROW
Ammospiza leconteii Status: Fairly common regular spring and fall migrant east and east-central, rare west-central, accidental west. Rare casual winter visitor. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7313, 20 Apr 1901 Havelock, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: This species and Nelson’s Sparrow were moved from Ammodramus to the new genus Ammospiza based on genetic studies that indicated former Ammodramus was […]