Euplectes franciscanus Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized, both in east-central Africa (Gill et al 2022). Comments: A male on the University of Nebraska – Omaha campus, Douglas Co 29 Sep 2016 was unexpected; photo above. There are no known established populations closer than Texas, southern California, and New York (eBird.org, accessed […]
SAGE THRASHER
Oreoscoptes montanus Status: Rare casual spring migrant and summer visitor west, accidental central. Rare casual breeder west. Uncommon regular fall migrant west, rare casual west central. Accidental in winter. Documentation: UNSM ZM6640, 13 Jul 1901 Antelope Creek, Sioux Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Spring: The spring migration route for this […]
BROWN THRASHER
Toxostoma rufum Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant and breeder statewide. Rare casual winter visitor south and southeast. Documentation: Specimen: rufum, UNSM ZM6643, 17 Sep 1921 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Gill et al (2022) recognized two subspecies, longicauda and rufum. According to AOU (1957), eastern rufum breeds west to western Minnesota, western Iowa, and western […]
CURVE-BILLED THRASHER
Toxostoma curvirostre curvirostre, T.c. palmeri Status: Rare casual erratic resident. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6646, 2 May 1936 North Platte, Lincoln Co (identified by H. C. Oberholser). Taxonomy: Gill et al (2022) recognize seven subspecies, but other authors (Pyle 1997, Tweit 2020) recognized two subspecies, corresponding to the two phenotypically recognizable groups (Rojas-Soto 2003, Rojas-Soto et […]
AMERICAN ROBIN
Turdus migratorius Status: Abundant regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Common regular breeder statewide. Common but erratic regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: migratorius, UNSM ZM6653, 18 May 1914 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Seven subspecies are generally recognized, based on Phillips (1991); five occur north of Mexico (Gill et al 2022), nigrideus of eastern Canada, migratorius […]
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
Polioptila caerulea caerulea, P. c. obscura Status: Fairly common regular spring and fall migrant east and west, uncommon central. Common regular breeder east, fairly common north-central, south, and west. Documentation: Specimen: caerulea, UNSM 11734, 1 May 1888 Peru, Nemaha Co. Taxonomy: Pyle (1997) recognized seven subspecies, three breeding north of Mexico: obscura, of California to […]