Chlidonias niger surinamensis Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Common regular breeder north and west, accidental Rainwater Basin. Uncommon summer visitor away from breeding areas.Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12725, 21 May 1895 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized: niger of central Asia, and surinamensis of Canada and North America (AviList 2025). Nebraska birds […]
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
Larus fuscus graellsii Status: Fairly common regular spring and fall migrant and winter visitor statewide. Fairly common regular summer visitor Keith Co, rare casual elsewhere. Documentation: Photograph: 28 Feb 1994 Lake McConaughy, Keith Co (Gubanyi 1996). Taxonomy: Five subspecies are currently recognized by many current authorities, three in Eurasia (fuscus, heuglini, and barabensis), and two […]
RING-BILLED GULL
Larus delawarensis Status: Abundant regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Fairly common regular summer visitor statewide. Uncommon regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6619, 22 Sep 1917 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Pollet et al (2020) indicated that there are two breeding populations, eastern and western, that can generally be […]
FRANKLIN’S GULL
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 (AviList 2025). Spring: Feb 16, 18, 19 <<<>>> summer See Winter for earlier reports. Usually, arrival is in […]
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 (AviList 2025). Spring: Apr 7, 7, 8 <<<>>> summer Earlier dates are 28 […]
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: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Olsen and Larsson (2004) and AviList (2025) treated North American brachyrhynchus as a full species split from L. canus Common Gull, retaining within the latter the three […]