Aix galericulata Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Comments: There are reports from three locations. A free-flying, unmarked male was found at Pier Park, Grand Island, Hall Co 14 Dec 2011 and apparently wintered there, with sightings through 29 Feb 2012; a female was present 21 Feb (Steve […]
WOOD DUCK
Aix sponsa Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant east, fairly common west. Common regular breeder east and central, uncommon west. Rare regular winter visitor south and east, rare casual north and west. Documentation: Specimen: WSC 33, Oct 1971 Antelope Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Changes since 2000: The number […]
[RUDDY SHELDUCK]
Tadorna ferruginea Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Comments: The Nebraska reports are of single birds and are certainly escaped or released birds: one at Kearney Lake, Buffalo Co, 24 Feb 1997 was considered an escapee based on its behavior, including “aggressive begging, following people around, and approaching […]
[EGYPTIAN GOOSE]
Alopochen aegyptiacus Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Comments: This species, actually a shelduck, has no history of vagrancy to the Western Hemisphere. It has been reported a few times in Nebraska with no discernible pattern of occurrence; all were presumably escaped or released birds. However we track […]
TUNDRA SWAN
Cygnus columbianus columbianus Status: Rare regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare to locally uncommon regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: HMM 2822, 27 Oct 1917 Doniphan, Hall Co. Taxonomy: There are two subspecies, columbianus and bewickii, the latter Eurasian in distribution (Gill et al 2022). The subspecies were formerly treated as separate species, Whistling […]
MUTE SWAN
Cygnus olor Status: Rare casual winter visitor east. Documentation: Photograph: 7 Nov 2015 Dakota Co (Brogie 2016). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). There are two color morphs of downy Mute Swan, gray (“Royal”) and white (“Polish”, or leucistic); the differences persist in plumage and in bare parts color through the juvenile […]