Gavia stellata
Status: Rare casual spring migrant and rare regular fall migrant statewide.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM-19794, 10 Nov 2020 Conestoga Lake, Lancaster Co.
Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022).
Spring: There are eight accepted records:
17 Mar 2018 basic adult Branched Oak Lake, Lancaster Co (Michael Willison photo; Brogie 2019)
21 Mar 2023 molting into adult plumage at Sutherland Reservoir, Lincoln Co (Steven Mlodinow, eBird.org)
25-27 Mar 2011 photographed Cedar and Knox Cos (Brogie 2012)
21-23 Apr 2013 Standing Bear Lake, Omaha, Douglas Co (Silcock 2013)
26 Apr 2023 immature Knox Co (Mark Brogie, eBird.org)
8 May 1998 basic adult Lake McConaughy, Keith Co (Dinsmore 1999, Brogie 1999)
16 May 1999 molting to alternate Lake McConaughy (Brown and Brown 2001, Jorgensen 2001)
27 May-2 Jun 2004 molting to alternate photographed Lake Minatare, Scotts Bluff Co (Brogie 2005).
An additional record was of two birds at Holmes Lake, Lincoln, Lancaster Co 11-17 May 2003 that were listed in Silcock (2003), but later not accepted by NOURC, stating “Although very suggestive, the documentation was lacking sufficient details for approval” (Brogie 2004). A report of one at Branched Oak Lake 12 Apr 2018 was not accepted by NOURC (Brogie 2019).
Fall: 26, 27, 29 Oct <<<>>> 12, 12, 13 Nov
An earlier date is 30 Sep 2000 Winters Creek Lake, Scotts Bluff Co (Jorgensen 2002).
Later dates are 21 Nov 2009 Branched Oak Lake (Silcock 2009), 19-25 Nov 1993 Standing Bear Lake, Douglas Co (Gubanyi 1996a, Brogie 1998), 30 Nov 2024 Harlan County Reservoir, Harlan Co (Willison, Nelson, eBird.org), and 2 Jan 2016 juvenile Lake McConaughy (Silcock 2016).
There are 31 accepted records, most in the brief period 26 Oct-25 Nov, and all but nine in the east. The fall of 1996 saw an unprecedented influx of Red-throated Loons, accounting for four of the 22 records. By far the latest record is of a juvenile on the Lake McConaughy CBC 2 Jan 2016. There is a report fall ca 1899 Frontier Co (Swenk 1933).
Comments: Migrants winter on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and are irregular in the Interior. As more birders with spotting scopes check reservoirs constructed in the last 50 years or so, records have increased; all but one of the 36 records listed above are from 1993 to the present.
Images
Abbreviations
CBC: Christmas Bird Count
NOURC: Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee
SRA: State Recreation Area
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
WPA: Waterfowl Production Area (Federal)
Literature Cited
Brogie, M.A. 1998. 1997 (Ninth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 66: 147-159.
Brogie, M.A. 1999. 1998 (Tenth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 67: 141-152.
Brogie, M.A. 2004. 2003 (15th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 72: 59-65.
Brogie, M.A. 2005. 2004 (16th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 73: 78-84.
Brogie, M.A. 2012. 2011 (23rd) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 80: 112-122.
Brogie, M.A. 2019. 2018 (30th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 87: 96-109.
Brown, C.R., and M.B. Brown. 2001. Birds of the Cedar Point Biological Station. Occasional Papers of the Cedar Point Biological Station, No. 1.
Dinsmore, S.J. 1999. Red-throated Loon at Lake McConaughy. NBR 67: 81.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Gubanyi, J.G. 1996. 1992, 1993 (Fifth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 64: 30-35.
Gubanyi, J.G. 1996. 1995 (Seventh) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 64: 132-138.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2001. 1999 (Eleventh) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 69: 85-91.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2002. 2002 (sic; =2000). (12th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 70: 84-90.
Silcock, W.R. 2003. Spring Field Report, March-May 2003. NBR 71: 58-96.
Silcock, W.R. 2009. Fall Field Report, August-November 2009. NBR 77: 138-155.
Silcock, W.R. 2013. Spring Field Report, Mar 2013 to May 2013. NBR 81: 50-79.
Silcock, W.R. 2016. Winter Field Report, December 2015 to February 2016. NBR 84: 2-24.
Swenk, M.H. 1933. A brief synopsis of the birds of Nebraska. I. Loons. NBR 1: 87-90.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 6 Dec 2024