Spinus psaltria psaltria, P. p. hesperophilus Status: Uncommon regular summer visitor Panhandle, rare casual elsewhere. Rare casual breeder Panhandle. Rare casual winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Photograph: 20 May 1984 Monroe Canyon, Sioux Co (Swanson 1984, Williams, 1984). Taxonomy: Spinus, a former sub-genus of Carduelis, was raised to generic status based on genetic data (Chesser et […]
LAPLAND LONGSPUR
Calcarius lapponicus alascensis, C. l. subcalcaratus Status: Abundant regular spring and fall migrant and winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimens: lapponicus (=subcalcaratus), UNSM ZM7676, 8 Feb 1889, Lincoln, Lancaster Co; alascensis, UNSM ZM7603, 16 Nov 1901, Haigler, Dundy Co. Taxonomy: Five subspecies are currently recognized (Hussell and Montgomerie 2020, Gill et al 2022), two of which […]
PINE GROSBEAK
Pinicola enucleator leucura, P. e. montana Status: Rare casual winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimens: montana, UNSM ZM10416, 30 Nov 1910 Crawford, Dawes Co; leucura, UNSM ZM7127, 29 Nov 1932 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Most authorities recognize nine subspecies, four of which occur in Eurasia, leaving five that occur in North America; here we follow Young and […]
RED CROSSBILL
Loxia curvirostra Status: Rare regular breeder west and north, rare casual elsewhere. Common regular spring, summer, fall, and winter visitor west, uncommon elsewhere. Documentation: Specimen: benti (= pusilla) UNSM ZM7187, winter 1886 Fairbury, Jefferson Co. Call Type Recordings: Type 2 Ponderosa Pine Red Crossbill, 26 Aug 2015 Chadron SP, Dawes Co (LeFever 2015); Type 3 […]
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
Loxia leucoptera leucoptera Status: Uncommon casual winter visitor statewide. Rare casual summer visitor. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7187, winter 1886 Fairbury, Jefferson Co. Taxonomy: Gill et al (2022) refer to this species as Two-barred Crossbill. Two subspecies are recognized, bifasciata of Eurasia, and leucoptera breeding across Canada, northern USA and northern Rocky Mountains (Gill et al […]
CASSIN’S FINCH
Haemorhous cassinii cassinii Status: Rare regular but erratic winter visitor Panhandle, rare casual west central. Accidental breeder northwest. Documentation: UNSM ZM10486, 7 Dec 1910 Crawford, Dawes Co (Mickel and Dawson 1920). This specimen and UNSM ZM10487 are labelled Purple Finch, possibly inadvertently by the collector. Taxonomy: No subspecies are generally recognized (Gill et al 2022), […]