Pinicola enucleator leucura, P. e. montana
Status: Rare casual winter visitor statewide.
Documentation: Specimens: montana, UNSM ZM10416, 30 Nov 1910 Crawford, Dawes Co; leucura, UNSM ZM7127, 29 Nov 1932 Lancaster Co.
Taxonomy: Most authorities recognize nine subspecies, four of which occur in Eurasia, leaving five that occur in North America; here we follow Young and Adkisson (2020) regarding the five North American subspecies: flammula, breeding from southern Alaska to British Columbia, wintering to northwest USA, carlottae, resident from Queen Charlotte Island to Vancouver Island, montana, resident from central British Columbia to the Rocky Mountains of the southwestern USA, californica, resident in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, leucura (including alascensis and eschatosus), breeding Alaska to central and eastern Canada and Newfoundland to New England, wintering south to the northern USA.
Subspecies that might be expected to occur in Nebraska are montana, and leucura. Bruner et al (1904) listed leucura as occurring in Nebraska, as did AOU (1957), citing a record at Neligh, Antelope Co, and Rapp et al (1958) stated that leucura had occurred “as far west as Grand Island and Long Pine.” Bruner et al (1904) assumed that montana might occur in Nebraska; Rapp et al (1958) noted that montana had been “reported from the Panhandle region”, while AOU (1957) confirmed that montana wintered to western Nebraska. Four birds in Sioux Co 20 Dec 2024 were determined by recordings to be montana (Mlodinow, eBird.org), as were most if not all birds in western Nebraska during the winter 2023-2024 incursion (Steven Mlodinow, personal communication).
Winter: Nov 4, 5, 6 <<<>>> May 7, 7, 8
Fall arrival dates cluster in early Nov and spring departure dates in early to mid-Mar. There are earlier fall reports 11 Oct 1966 Lincoln Co and 30 Oct 1932 Adams Co and later spring reports 16 May 1938 Lincoln Co, 22 May 1988 a well-described female Scotts Bluff Co (Cortelyou 1988), 28 May 1943 Logan Co, and 10 Jun 2000, a male at Wildcat Hills NC, Scotts Bluff Co.
No irruptions had taken place since the early 1970s until winter 2023-2024 (see below) and since 1980 there have been only two winters with more than one report, 2012-2013 and 2015-2016 (see below). Young and Adkisson (2020) noted that most Pine Grosbeaks winter within the breeding range and movements are generally triggered by scarcity of food supplies; the paucity of reports in Nebraska since 1980 suggests winters warm enough since then to obviate eruptions. Pine Grosbeak may breed sporadically in the Black Hills of South Dakota, although breeding has not been proven (Tallman et al 2002). Faulkner (2010) observed that birds that wintered in lower-elevation riparian areas “not unusually” remained into May.
Most Nebraska reports are from “invasion” winters, including 1910-11, 1932-33 (many reports), 1962-63, 1963-64, 1966-67, 1969-70 (many reports), 1970-71, and 2023-2024 (many reports). The species was described as “numerous” in Dodge Co in winter 1946-47, through May, and there were a few reports in Adams Co during the invasion winter 1932-33 (Jorgensen 2012).
The reports from winter 2012-2013 are of a female late fall 2012-28 Jan 2013 Dakota Co (Brogie 2014), one was reported in Lancaster Co 7 Feb, and one was in Seward Co Jan-15 Feb (Silcock 2013).
In 2015-2016, a female or immature was seen by many at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas Co 19 Dec- 9 Feb 2015-2016 (Brogie 2016, 2017) and three were reported in Lancaster Co 1 Feb 2016 (eBird.org, accessed April 2018; not accepted by NOURC, Brogie 2017). A surprising report was of eight birds at a Loup Co feeder 25 Mar 2017 (Brogie 2018).
Outside of these two recent winters, there are these reports since 1980, scattered statewide: three on the Harlan County Reservoir CBC 14-15 Dec 2019 (Brogie 2020), 19 Dec 2004 female Lancaster Co (Brogie 2006), 18 Dec 1983 Lincoln Co, 20 Dec 2004 male Grant, Perkins Co (Brogie 2005), 29 Dec 2000 Lincoln Co (Jorgensen 2002), 11 Feb 2015 “russet-headed” female or juvenile Furnas Co (Silcock 2015) and 22 May 1988 Scotts Bluff Co (Cortelyou 1988). A report of 3-5 at Wildcat Hills NC, Scotts Bluff Co 30 May 2011 was undocumented (eBird.org, accessed April 2018).
Winter 2023-2024 saw a major incursion into Nebraska, the first since winter 1969-1970, with reports totaling as many as 120 individuals 20 Dec through 24 Feb. The first report was of four near Coffee Park, Sioux Co 20 Dec, determined to be of the Rocky Mountains subspecies montana (SM). By far most birds were in the western Pine Ridge 4-5 Jan, when almost 100 individuals were reported: 19 along Deadhorse Road, Dawes Co 4 Jan, 31 in and near Coffee Park, Sioux Co 4 Jan, 18-31 at Gilbert-Baker WMA 4-5 Jan, and 48 on the Harrison CBC 5 Jan, the latter including the 31 at Gilbert-Baker. Additional Panhandle records totaled at least 10 birds at three locations in Kimball and Scotts Bluff Cos. Farther east, one was in Grant Co 2 Jan, singles were at Ogallala, Keith Co 4 Jan and 24 Feb, and quite amazingly, one was seen by many at Wyuka Cemetery, Lancaster Co 27 Jan-5 Feb.
Images
Abbreviations
CBC: Christmas Bird Count
NC: Nature Center
NOURC: Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited
American Ornithologists’ Union [AOU]. 1957. The AOU Check-list of North American birds, 5th ed. Port City Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Brogie, M.A. 2005. 2004 (16th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 73: 78-84.
Brogie, M.A. 2006. 2005 (17th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 74: 69-74.
Brogie, M.A. 2014. 2013 (25th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 82: 131-146.
Brogie, M.A. 2016. 2015 (27th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 84: 138-150.
Brogie, M.A. 2017. 2016 (28th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 85: 128-142.
Brogie, M.A. 2018. 2017 (29th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 86: 131-142.
Brogie, M.A. 2020. 2019 (31st) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 88: 124-134.
Bruner, L., R.H. Wolcott, and M.H. Swenk. 1904. A preliminary review of the birds of Nebraska, with synopses. Klopp and Bartlett, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
Cortelyou, R.G. 1988. 1988 (Sixty-third) Spring Occurrence Report. NBR 56: 54-77.
Faulkner, D.W. 2010. Birds of Wyoming. Roberts and Company, Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2002. 2002 (sic; =2000). (12th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 70: 84-90.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2012. Birds of the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Rapp, W.F. Jr., J.L.C. Rapp, H.E. Baumgarten, and R.A. Moser. 1958. Revised checklist of Nebraska birds. Occasional Papers 5, Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Crete, Nebraska, USA.
Silcock, W.R. 2013. Winter Field Report, December 2012 to February 2013. NBR 81: 2-20.
Silcock, W.R. 2015. Winter Field Report, December 2014 to February 2015. NBR 83: 3-21.
Tallman, D.A., Swanson, D.L., and J.S. Palmer. 2002. Birds of South Dakota. Midstates/Quality Quick Print, Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA.
Young, M.A. and C.S. Adkisson. 2020. Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, B. K. Keeney, and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pingro.02.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2025. Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 28 Feb 2025