Patagioenas fasciata Status: Rare casual spring and fall visitor. Documentation: Photograph: 15 May 2000 Gering, Scotts Bluff Co (Jorgensen 2002). Taxonomy: New world pigeons previously included in Columba have been allocated to the genus Patagioenas (Banks et al 2003). There are six subspecies recognized (AviList 2025), two north of Mexico: fasciata, breeding near the Pacific […]
ROCK PIGEON
Columba livia Status: Common regular resident statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM 13458, 26 May 1977 Lincoln, Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: In the strict sense, Columba livia refers to the Rock Dove of Eurasia east to central Asia and Africa; North American Rock Pigeons are an amalgamation of several wild subspecies from the native range in central Asia […]
RUDDY DUCK
Oxyura jamaicensis Status: Common, locally abundant, regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Locally uncommon regular breeder Sandhills, rare Rainwater Basin, rare casual elsewhere. Rare regular summer visitor away from breeding range. Rare casual winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM12481, 26 Dec 1912 Lancaster Co. Taxonomy: AviList (2025) considers two Andean taxa (ferruginea, andina) and […]
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
Mergus serrator Status: Uncommon regular spring migrant east and central, rare west. Uncommon regular fall migrant statewide. Rare casual summer visitor central and east. Uncommon regular winter visitor west, south, east. Documentation: Specimen: HMM 2492, Apr 1900 Funk WPA, Phelps Co. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). Spring: Jan 26, 28, 29 <<<>>> May […]
COMMON MERGANSER
Mergus merganser americanus Status: Common, locally abundant, regular spring and fall migrant statewide. Rare casual summer visitor statewide. Rare regular breeder central, accidental west. Fairly common, locally abundant, regular winter visitor statewide. Documentation: Specimen: WSC 522, fall 1975 Madison Co. Taxonomy: Three subspecies are generally recognized, merganser and orientalis of the Paleartic and americanus of […]
BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
Bucephala islandica Status: Rare regular winter visitor North Platte River Valley, rare casual central and east. Rare casual spring and fall migrant west and east. Documentation: Photograph: 19 Apr 1987 Keystone Lake, Keith Co (Mollhoff 1989). Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025). A hybrid between this species and Barrow’s Goldeneye has occurred in Nebraska; […]