Picoides arcticus Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: Nearctic three-toed woodpeckers (Picoides dorsalis, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and P. arcticus, Black-backed Woodpecker) are split from the Palearctic species (P. tridactylus, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker) based on genetic and vocal differences (Banks et al 2003). No subspecies are currently recognized (Gill et al 2022). Comments: Despite several Nebraska reports, none are acceptably documented; none […]
[FLAMMULATED OWL]
Psiloscops flammeolus Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: This species has been re-assigned from Otus to monotypic genus Psiloscops (Gill et al 2022, Wink et al 2009). Comments: There are three reports, two of which seem quite likely to be of this species, of which northern populations are migratory (Linkhart and McCallum 2020). Calls believed to […]
[SCALED QUAIL]
Callipepla squamata Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: Four subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022); it is not known which subspecies were included in Nebraska releases. Comments: About 33 were released by a private individual in Loup Co in 1957; these birds initially did well, with as many as 400 birds known in subsequent years in […]
[WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD]
Phaethon lepturus Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: There are six subspecies recognized in tropical oceans (Gill et al 2022). Comments: One reported flying along the South Platte River in Lincoln Co 13-14 May 1973 (Cortelyou 1973a) was later suggested to be a tern trailing a fishing line (Cortelyou 1973b). The report was considered inconclusive by […]
[SLATY-BACKED GULL]
Larus schistisagus Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized. Comments: There is a report of a basic adult at Harlan County Reservoir, Harlan Co 22 Jan 2000 (eBird.org checklist, Jorgensen 2002). Photographs were obtained, and all features visible in the photographs and noted in the observer’s description indicated this species. However, a key […]
[BLACK SKIMMER]
Rhynchops niger Status: No accepted records. Taxonomy: There are three subspecies (Gill et al 2022): cinerascens and intercedens of South America, and niger of coastal USA and Mexico. Comments: There are two reports, neither acceptably documented. One was reported at Pawnee Lake, Lancaster Co, 10 Sep 2005, but the report was not accepted by NOURC […]