Ardea herodias wardi Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally common regular breeder west and central, uncommon east. Locally uncommon regular winter visitor Platte and North Platte river valleys southward, rare elsewhere. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM10615, 24 Jun 1912 Halsey, Thomas Co. Taxonomy: Five subspecies are recognized (Vennesland and Butler 2020; AviList 2025), […]
GREEN HERON
Butorides virescens virescens Status: Fairly common regular spring and fall migrant and breeder east and south-central, uncommon north-central, rare casual Panhandle. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12399, 26 Apr 1917 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Green Heron was formerly included in the Little Heron B. striata complex, but genetic data indicated the complex consisted of four separate species, […]
AMERICAN EGRET
Ardea egretta Status: Fairly common regular spring migrant east and central, uncommon west. Fairly common, locally common, regular summer visitor east and central, rare west. Rare casual breeder. Common regular fall migrant east and central, rare west. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7653, 4 Aug 1930 Saunders Co. Taxonomy: Four subspecies were traditionally recognized (AviList 2025), one […]
AMERICAN BITTERN
Botaurus lentiginosus Status: Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Uncommon regular breeder north, west, and Rainwater Basin, rare casual elsewhere. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12409, 19 Sep 1911 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Spring: Mar 29, 31, Apr 1 <<<>>> May 15, 15, 15 Late dates above are from areas where […]
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
Nannopterum auritum auritum Status: Abundant regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally common regular breeder north and west, rare casual elsewhere. Locally uncommon regular summer visitor away from breeding range locations. Rare casual winter visitor south. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7651, 1 Nov 1932 North Platte, Lincoln Co. Taxonomy: Chesser et al (2021) split New World […]
ANHINGA
Anhinga anhinga leucogaster Status: Rare casual spring visitor southeast. Documentation: Photograph: 18 May 2017 Swan Creek WMA, Saline Co (William Flack, eBird.org; Brogie 2018). Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025), leucogaster of the southeastern United States and northern Caribbean, and anhinga of South America and the southern Caribbean. Anhinga has traditionally consisted of four […]