Sphyrapicus thyroideus Status: Rare casual spring and fall visitor east and central. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM15986, 13 May 1988 Omaha, Douglas Co. Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025), thyroideus of the Pacific Coast region and nataliae of the Rocky Mountains. Spring: There are five reports, three documented: 24 Mar 1939, male at Hastings, Adams […]
SHORT-EARED OWL
Asio flammeus flammeus Status: Rare regular resident north and west. Uncommon regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7740, 4 Dec 1902 Kirkwood, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: There are 11 subspecies currently recognized, only one, flammeus, occurring in North America, the other 10 subspecies are distributed worldwide except for Australia; several are island endemics (AviList 2025). […]
LONG-EARED OWL
Asio otus wilsonianus, A. o. tuftsi Status: Fairly common regular winter visitor statewide. Uncommon regular resident north, rare south. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12786, 9 May 1892 Waverly, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Four subspecies are recognized, one each in Eurasia and Africa, and two in North America, tuftsi from western Canada to northern Mexico, and wilsonianus from south-central […]
LEWIS’S WOODPECKER
Melanerpes lewis Status: Rare casual spring migrant west and west central. Rare casual fall migrant west and central. Rare regular local breeder west. Accidental winter visitor. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6299, 30 May 1900 Warbonnet Canyon, Sioux Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Spring: Away from known breeding locations, there are few records, most […]
PILEATED WOODPECKER
Dryocopus pileatus abieticola Status: Uncommon regular breeder east. Rare casual winter and spring visitor away from east. Documentation: Photograph: 24 Jan 1991 Bellevue, Sarpy Co (Grenon 1991). Taxonomy: There are two subspecies recognized (AviList 2025), pileatus, resident south and east of south-central Texas, southeast Kansas, southern Illinois, and Maryland, and abieticola north and northwest of […]
HAIRY WOODPECKER
Leuconotopicus villosus villosus, L. v. monticola Status: Common regular resident west, fairly common central and east. Rare regular winter visitor west. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6321, 12 Dec 1895 Fort Robinson, Sioux Co. Taxonomy: Species previously included in Picoides (Fuchs and Pons 2015, Chesser et al 2018): Red-cockaded, Arizona, Hairy, and White-headed of the US, Smoky-brown of […]