Spizella passerina passerina, S. p. arizonae, S. p. boreophila Status: Abundant regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Common regular breeder statewide, uncommon western Sandhills and southern Panhandle. Rare casual winter visitor southeast. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7426, 27 Apr 1901 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: There are five subspecies, three in Mexico and two in the USA […]
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Spizella pallida Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare casual summer visitor north. Accidental in winter. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7429, 17 May 1890 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Clay-colored Sparrow hybrids with Chipping Sparrow and Field Sparrow are occasionally reported, although none for Nebraska. There are […]
VESPER SPARROW
Pooecetes gramineus gramineus, P. g. confinis Status: Common, locally abundant, regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Fairly common regular breeder north and east, uncommon elsewhere. Rare casual winter visitor.Documentation: Specimens: gramineus, UNSM ZM7340, 12 Apr 1890 Lincoln, Lancaster Co; confinis, UNSM ZM7336, 30 May 1901 Warbonnet Canyon, Sioux Co. Taxonomy: Four weakly defined subspecies are […]
SAVANNAH SPARROW
Passerculus sandwichensis nevadensis, P. s. savanna, P. s. LABRADORIUS (including oblitus). Status: Common, locally abundant, regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally uncommon regular breeder west. Rare casual winter visitor south and east. Documentation: Specimens: nevadensis, UNSM ZM7285, 10 Oct 1885 Lincoln, Lancaster Co; savanna, UNSM ZM7279, 19 Oct 1901; oblitus, UNSM ZM10432, 9 Apr […]
HENSLOW’S SPARROW
Centronyx henslowii Status: Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant southeast, rare northeast and central. Locally uncommon regular breeder southeast. Documentation: Specimen: USNM 8968, Loup Fork of Platte 10 Jun 1857 (Hyde 1939). Taxonomy: This species and Baird’s Sparrow were moved to a new genus, Centronyx, from Ammodramus, based on genetic studies that indicated former Ammodramus […]
NELSON’S SPARROW
Ammospiza nelsoni nelsoni Status: Rare regular spring migrant east, rare casual central. Uncommon regular fall migrant east, rare casual central, accidental west. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7335, 8 Oct 1904 Lincoln, Lancaster Co (Wolcott 1905). Taxonomy: This species and LeConte’s Sparrow were moved from genus Ammodramus to genus Ammospiza based on genetic studies that indicated former […]