Species

Melanerpes formicivorus Status: Rare casual summer visitor. Documentation: Photograph: 19 May 1996 Chambers, Holt Co (Brogie 1997). Taxonomy: Seven subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025), 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 Mexico. The […]

Athene cunicularia hypugAea Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant and breeder west and west central, uncommon and local east central, rare casual east. Rare casual winter visitor central and west. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM11338, 24 Mar 1895 Beatrice, Gage Co. Taxonomy: !8 subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025), two occurring in continental North America: floridana […]

Bubo scandiacus Status: Rare, occasionally common, regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM 7729, 6 Mar 1918 Harvard, Clay Co. Taxonomy: The merging of Nyctea into Bubo was discussed by Banks et al (2003); some authors retain the monotypic genus Nyctea for this species (Weick 2006, Potapov and Sale 2012). No subspecies are currently recognized […]

Bubo virginianus virginianus, B. v. subarcticus, B. v. lagophonus, B. v. pallescens Status: Common regular resident statewide. Rare regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: virginianus, UNSM ZM12752, 4 Nov 1902 Lancaster Co; subarcticus, UNSM ZM-16270 12 Mar 1990 Cuming Co. Taxonomy: Fifteen subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025); those whose ranges potentially include Nebraska are lagophonus […]

Megascops asio maxwelliae Status: Common regular resident east and central, uncommon west. Documentation: Specimen, UNSM 12746, Beatrice, 22 Mar 1894. A specimen collected in Cherry Co May 1923 is KU74493 at the University of Kansas. Taxonomy: The use of Megascops instead of Otus for New World species of Otus (except for O. flammeolus Flammulated Owl, […]

Surnia ulula caparoch Status: Accidental in winter. Documentation: Specimen: HMM 1231, Sheridan Co, 8 Dec 1912. Taxonomy: Three subspecies are recognized, two in Eurasia and one, caparoch, in North America (AviList 2025). Record: There is one record. 8 Dec 1912, Sheridan Co (cited above). The single documented record, the specimen cited above, is a male […]