Phalaenoptilus nuttallii nuttallii Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant west and west central, uncommon east central, rare casual east. Common regular breeder west, uncommon central, rare casual east.Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6247, 24 May 1900 Monroe Canyon, Sioux Co. Taxonomy: Of the six subspecies recognized (AviList 2025), only one occurs as far north as Nebraska […]
PURPLE GALLINULE
Porphyrio martinicA Status: Rare casual summer visitor central. Documentation: Photograph: 13 Sep 2019 Hastings, Adams Co (Eric Javins; Brogie 2020). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). The specific epithet martinica is used here (Chesser et 2024, AviList (2025). Summer: There are two documented records: 2 May 1946 Pauline, Adams Co (Ager 1946) 13 Sep […]
COMMON GALLINULE
Gallinula galeata cachinnans Status: Rare casual spring migrant south and east. Rare casual breeder east. Rare casual fall migrant. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM10394, 4 May 1911 Exeter, Fillmore Co. Taxonomy: This New World species was split from Old World Common Moorhen G. chloropus (Chesser et al 2011). Common Gallinule (G. galeata) comprises seven subspecies, three […]
KING RAIL
Rallus elegans elegans Status: Rare casual spring and summer visitor statewide. Rare casual breeder east. Rare casual fall migrant statewide. Documentation: Specimen: HMM 2496, Inland, Clay Co 5 Jun 1916 (Swenk, Notes After 1925). Taxonomy: After the taxonomic revision of Rallus rails (Chesser et al 2014), King Rail as reconstituted contains two subspecies, elegans of […]
CLAPPER RAIL
Rallus crepitans crepitans Status: Accidental in winter. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM14120, 30 Jan 1951 near Stapleton, Logan Co (Rapp and Rapp 1951). Taxonomy: The 15 subspecies previously included in Clapper Rail R. longirostris (AOU 1957) were split into two groups in 2014, seven in South America (a new subspecies was described in 2016) under Mangrove […]
BLACK RAIL
Laterallus jamaicensis JAMAICENSIS Status: Rare casual spring and summer visitor statewide. Federally listed as Threatened. Documentation: Recording: 25 May 1986 Knox Co (Brogie and Brogie 1987, Brogie 1999). Taxonomy: Five subspecies are recognized, three in South America, and two in North America: coterniculus of California and Baja, Mexico, and jamaicensis of the eastern United States […]