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 […]
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 […]
ROYAL TERN
Thalasseus maximus Status: Accidental in fall. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM 18317, 10 Sep 2008 Platte Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are currently recognized (Gill et al 2022). Fall: There is one record. A moribund individual was found at Lakes North and Babcock, Platte Co 8-10 Sep 2007 (Rehme et al 2008), following Hurricane Ike, which caused […]