Corvus cryptoleucus Status: Extirpated; formerly breeder southwest and south-central. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12283, 23 Jun 1951 “Nebraska” (no specific location given). Taxonomy: No subspecies are currently recognized (Gill et al 2022). See “Comments” for discussion of identification of Chihuahuan and Common Ravens. Records: The occurrence of this species in Nebraska is enigmatic. Reports during the […]
STELLER’S JAY
Cyanocitta stelleri Annectens, C. S. MACROLOPHA Status: Uncommon casual irruptive winter visitor statewide. Documentation: annectens: specimen UNSM ZM7630, Oct 1916 Mitchell, Scotts Bluff Co. macrolopha: photograph: 30 Nov 2022 Carter Canyon, Scotts Bluff Co. Taxonomy: There are 13-17 subspecies recognized by various authors (Phillips 1986, Gill et al 2022, Pyle 1997, Walker et al 2020). However, descriptions […]
[WOODHOUSE’S SCRUB-JAY]
Aphelocoma woodhouseii Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: Former Western Scrub-Jay A. californica with 14 subspecies was split into two species (Chesser et al 2016, Curry et al 2020, Gill et al 2022): California Scrub-Jay (A. californica) of the western USA west of the Rocky Mountains from Washington to Baja California, retaining seven subspecies, and Woodhouse’s […]
CLARK’S NUTCRACKER
Nucifraga columbiana Status: Uncommon casual irruptive winter visitor statewide. Rare casual breeder and summer visitor northwest. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM10406, 29 Nov 1910 Crawford, Dawes Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Summer: This species is not known to breed regularly in Nebraska; the three records of breeding have occurred following significant […]
PINYON JAY
Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus cyanocephalus Status: Rare local regular resident Panhandle. Uncommon regular winter visitor west, rare casual central, accidental east. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7644, 13 Dec 1895 Fort Robinson, Dawes Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized by Gill et al (2022), although Pyle (1997) accepted three weakly-differentiated subspecies: cassini from Oregon to Idaho and south to […]
RED-EYED VIREO
Vireo olivaceus olivaceus Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant east and central, uncommon west. Common regular breeder east, locally common elsewhere. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6782, 22 May 1900 Monroe Canyon, Sioux Co. Taxonomy: The allocation of nine Central and South American subspecies (Chesser et al 2018) to a newly erected species Chivi Vireo (V. […]