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 […]
COMMON TERN
Sterna hirundo hirundo Status: Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare casual summer visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6625, Sep 1892 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: Four subspecies are currently recognized (Gill et al 2022), two breeding in central to eastern Asia (tibetana and minussensis), one in Siberia and northeast China (longipennis), and the fourth […]
[WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD]
Phaethon lepturus Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: There are six subspecies recognized in tropical oceans (Gill et al 2022). Comments: One reported flying along the South Platte River in Lincoln Co 13-14 May 1973 (Cortelyou 1973a) was later suggested to be a tern trailing a fishing line (Cortelyou 1973b). The report was considered inconclusive by […]
ARCTIC TERN
Sterna paradisaea Status: Rare casual spring and fall migrant statewide. Documentation: Photograph: 20 Sep 2000 molting adult Lake Minatare, Scotts Bluff Co (Dinsmore 2000). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). Spring: There are three accepted records: 16-19 May 2003 alternate adult Lake McConaughy, Keith Co (Brogie 2004) 31 May 2015 alternate adult […]