Leucophaeus pipixcan Status: Abundant regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Accidental breeder Sandhills. Uncommon regular summer visitor statewide. Rare casual winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12719, 22 Apr 1892 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized. Changes since 2000: Prior to 2000 there were very few late Dec-early Feb records, but since then they […]
FORSTER’S TERN
Sterna forsteri Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally common regular breeder northwest and north-central. Rare regular summer visitor statewide away from breeding locations. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6627, 16 Jun 1902 Dewey Lake, Cherry Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Spring: Apr 7, 8, 8 <<<>>> summer Earlier dates […]
SHORT-BILLED GULL
Larus brachyrhynchus Status: Rare regular winter visitor Lake McConaughy, rare casual elsewhere. Documentation: Photograph: 11 May 1996 Keith Co (Brogie 1997). Taxonomy: The Common Gull (L. canus) was formerly considered to comprise four subspecies: canus of Iceland and the British Isles to the White Sea; heinei of western Russia to central Siberia; kamtschatschensis of eastern […]
AMERICAN HERRING GULL
Larus SMITHsonianus Status: Common, locally abundant, regular spring migrant statewide. Uncommon regular summer visitor Lake McConaughy, rare casual elsewhere. Common regular fall migrant statewide. Locally common regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNK mount, 8 Oct 1917 Kearney, Buffalo Co. Taxonomy: Traditionally, four subspecies had been recognized in the Herring Gull complex (Pyle 2008), but […]
GLAUCOUS GULL
Larus hyperboreus hyperboreus Status: Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally uncommon regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Photograph: 4 Apr 1986 Lake North, Platte Co (Mollhoff 1987). Taxonomy: Four subspecies are generally recognized (Gill et al 2022): hyperboreus of northern Europe to northwest Siberia, pallidissimus of northwest Siberia to Bering Sea islands, barrovianus of […]
CASPIAN TERN
Hydroprogne caspia Status: Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Uncommon regular summer visitor Lake McConaughy, rare casual elsewhere. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM14209, 5 May 1893 Salt Lake, Lancaster Co (Hudson 1934). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized. Spring: Apr 20, 21, 22 <<<>>> Jun 12, 13, 13 There are earlier dates 9 Apr 2023 Ponca […]