Species

Caracara plancus CHERIWAY Status: Accidental in summer. Documentation: Photograph: 11 Nov 2012 Genoa, Nance Co, first seen 14 Jul (Brogie 2013). Taxonomy: The caracaras of North, Central, and South America, traditionally considered a single species C. plancus with four or five subspecies, was treated as three species by Dove and Banks (1999) and Banks et […]

Megaceryle alcyon Status: Fairly common regular breeder and spring and fall migrant statewide. Uncommon local winter visitor southern half of state, rare elsewhere. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6277, 23 Jun 1916 Mitchell, Scotts Bluff Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are currently recognized (Gill et al 2022). Belted Kingfisher was previously included in genus Ceryle, but recent genetic […]

Strix varia Status: Fairly common regular resident east, rare east central, rare casual elsewhere. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM7741, 28 Nov 1937 Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy Co. Taxonomy: Four weakly-defined subspecies are recognized by some authors (Pyle 1997, Mazur and James 2020, Clements et al 2016), two in Texas and the southern US (helveola, georgica), one in […]

Aegolius acadicus acadicus Status: Rare regular breeder west, rare casual north central. Rare casual summer visitor away from northwest. Uncommon regular spring and fall migrant and winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: SUI 28762, Wood River, Hall Co 14 Oct 1884. Taxonomy: There are two subspecies recognized, brooksi of the Queen Charlotte Islands of western Canada, […]

Sphyrapicus nuchalis Status: Rare casual spring migrant west, accidental east. Rare regular fall migrant west, rare casual eslewhere. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6310, 13 Sep 1919 Monroe Canyon, Sioux Co (Mickel and Dawson 1920). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022). This species was treated as a subspecies of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (AOU 1957) until […]

Melanerpes formicivorus Status: Rare casual summer visitor. Documentation: Photograph: 19 May 1996 Chambers, Holt Co (Brogie 1997). Taxonomy: Seven subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022), five from Mexico through South America, and two in North America north of Mexico: bairdi of Oregon south to northern Baja California and formicivorus of southwestern US to southeast […]