Elanus leucurus Status: Rare casual summer visitor south and west. Documentation: Photograph: 31 Aug-8 Oct 1983 Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall Co (Lingle and Lingle 1983). Taxonomy: There are two subspecies, majusculus of the southern and western United States south to Panama, and leucurus further south, to Argentina (AviList 2025). Nebraska birds are presumed majusculus. […]
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE
Elanoides forficatus Status: Rare casual summer visitor. Formerly regular breeder but extirpated around 1910. Documentation: Specimen: Fullerton, Nance Co, 1880, Illinois State Museum #ISM-602715; located by Wayne Mollhoff (personal communication). Taxonomy: There are two subspecies, forficatus of the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico, and yetapa, from Mexico to northern Argentina (AviList 2025). Nebraska birds […]
GLOSSY IBIS
Plegadis falcinellus Status: Increasing. Uncommon regular spring migrant statewide. Rare casual breeder Rainwater Basin. Rare casual summer visitor west and southeast. Rare casual fall migrant east and central. Documentation: Photograph: 15 Apr 2005 Harvard WPA, Clay Co (Brogie 2006). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). This species hybridizes extensively with White-faced Ibis. For further […]
WHITE-FACED IBIS
Plegadis chihi Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant west and central, uncommon east. Uncommon regular breeder north and west, rare southeast. Rare summer visitor east, east central, and south. Accidental in winter. Documentation: Specimen: Olson #43 at UNK, 12 Jun 1916 Island Lake, Crescent Lake NWR, Garden Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList […]
AMERICAN GOSHAWK
ASTUR atricapillus Status: Rare regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare casual summer visitor northwest. Rare regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12491, Nov 1896 near Maxwell, Lincoln Co. Taxonomy: Due to paraphyly in the genus Accipiter as revealed by genetic studies (Catanach et al 2024), four genera were split from Accipiter, including Astur, which comprises […]
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli Status: Fairly common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally common regular breeder Sandhills, locally uncommon Rainwater Basin, rare casual elsewhere. Rare casual summer visitor statewide away from breeding range. Documentation: Specimen: WSC 275, 22 May 1977 Cherry Co. Taxonomy: Four subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025), nycticorax in Eurasia and Africa, obscurus […]