Sterna forsteri Status: Common regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally common regular breeder northwest and north-central. Rare regular summer visitor statewide away from breeding locations. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM6627, 16 Jun 1902 Dewey Lake, Cherry Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Spring: Apr 7, 7, 8 <<<>>> summer Earlier dates are 28 […]
SHORT-BILLED GULL
Larus brachyrhynchus Status: Rare regular winter visitor Lake McConaughy, rare casual elsewhere. Documentation: Photograph: 11 May 1996 Keith Co (Brogie 1997). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Olsen and Larsson (2004) and AviList (2025) treated North American brachyrhynchus as a full species split from L. canus Common Gull, retaining within the latter the three […]
GLAUCOUS GULL
Larus 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 (AviList 2025): hyperboreus of northern Europe to northwest Siberia, pallidissimus of northwest Siberia to Bering Sea islands, barrovianus of Alaska to northwest Canada, […]
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 (AviList 2025). Spring: Apr 14, 15, 16 <<<>>> Jun 13, 13, 14 An earlier date is 9 Apr […]
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 (AviList 2025), two breeding in central to eastern Asia (tibetana and minussensis), one in Siberia and northeast China (longipennis), and the fourth (hirundo) in […]
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 (AviList 2025). Spring: There are three accepted records: 16-19 May 2003 alternate adult Lake McConaughy, Keith Co (Brogie 2004) 31 May 2015 alternate adult photographed Marsh […]