Bucephala albeola Status: Common, locally abundant, regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare casual summer visitor statewide. Accidental breeder Brown Co. Uncommon regular winter visitor west, south, east, rare casual north. Documentation: Specimen: WSC 544, 4 Nov 1979 Gavin’s Point Dam, Cedar Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). For Nebraska records […]
LONG-TAILED DUCK
Clangula hyemalis Status: Rare regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare casual winter visitor central and northeast. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12300, 11 Nov 1931 east of Tekamah, Burt Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Spring: Feb 26, 28, Mar 2 <<<>>> Apr 24, 28, 29 There are later reports 24 Apr-3 […]
BLACK SCOTER
Melanitta americana Status: Rare casual spring migrant statewide. Uncommon regular fall migrant statewide. Rare casual winter visitor. Accidental in summer. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7675, 1904 Omaha, Douglas Co. Taxonomy: The two former subspecies of Black Scoter M. nigra, nigra and americana, were raised to species status, the American taxon M. americana (oddly) retaining the name […]
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER
Melanitta deglandi Status: Rare casual spring migrant statewide. Uncommon regular fall migrant statewide. Rare casual winter visitor. Documentation: Specimen: SUI 18764, 14 Oct 1903 Crystal Lake, South Sioux City, Dakota Co. Taxonomy: Three subspecies have generally been recognized (for example, Clements et al 2016): M. f. fusca, Velvet (European) Scoter, M. f. stejnegeri, Asiatic White-winged […]
SURF SCOTER
Melanitta perspicillata Status: Rare casual spring migrant statewide. Accidental in summer. Uncommon regular fall migrant statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM10300, 7 May 1911 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Changes since 2000: Of 15 accepted spring reports, 11 are during 2000-2022, suggesting an increase in Interior United States spring movement. […]
HARLEQUIN DUCK
Histrionicus histrionicus Status: Rare casual winter visitor east and central. Documentation: Specimen: HMM 2499, about 1901 Platte River a little west of Grand Island (Swenk, Notes Before 1925). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Winter: There are six accepted records. 6 Nov 1992 Calamus Reservoir, Garfield Co, photograph of a mounted sub-adult […]