Pandion haliaetus carolinensis Status: Increasing. Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Fairly common regular breeder west, west central, and east. Rare regular summer visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM14607, Oct 1938 North Platte, Lincoln Co. Taxonomy: Four subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025); two of these occur in North America: carolinensis in the United States […]
TURKEY VULTURE
Cathartes aura Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Fairly common regular breeder statewide. Locally common regular summer visitor statewide. Accidental in winter. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM10880, 24 Jul 1910 Naponee, Franklin Co. Taxonomy: Of six subspecies (AviList 2025), three occur in North America: aura from the southwest United States to Costa Rica and […]
ZONE-TAILED HAWK
Buteo albonotatus Status: Accidental in spring. Documentation: Description: Lake Ogallala, Keith Co, 25 Apr 2007 (Brogie 2008). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Record: One was discovered by Charles Brown, Valerie O’Brien, and Sarah Knutie roosting with six Turkey Vultures at Lake Ogallala 25 Apr 2007 (Brogie 2008). It was watched both in flight […]
HARRIS’S HAWK
Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi Status: Rare casual spring, fall, and winter visitor west and east. Documentation: Specimen: HMM 2895, 28 Oct 1922 Elkhorn, Douglas Co. Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized, harrisi of southwest United States south to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and unicinctus of Colombia and Venezuela south to northern Argentina and Chile (AviList 2025). Nebraska […]
WHITE-TAILED KITE
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 […]