Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Breeding Birds of the Platte River Valley
Hypothetical Breeding Species
During our extensive surveys of breeding bird populations and distribution in
the study area, we encountered several bird species that were outside their normal
breeding range. Examination of the literature revealed that additional records
existed for some of the species we encountered, plus other species have been found
here that we did not observe. In all likelihood, many of the bird species mentioned
have nested at one time or another in our area. However, the lack of convincing
documentation renders their occurrence as a nesting species hypothetical. Other
species have occurred occasionally in the study area during the nesting season
(e.g. snowy plover, common poorwill), and may subsequently become established
as nesting species in the future.
Contents
- Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
- Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)
- Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis)
- Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
- Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
- Lesser Scaup (Aythya afinis)
- Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
- Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
- Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix)
- Chukar (Alectoris chukar)
- King Rail (Rallus elegans)
- Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
- Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus)
- Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)
- Franklin's Gull (Larus pipixcan)
- Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)
- Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)
- Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)
- Whip-poorwill (Caprimulgus vociferus)
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Achilochus colubris)
- Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
- Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus)
- Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)
- Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)
Western Grebe --(Aechmophorus occidentalis)
A regular nesting species at Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge in central
Garden County (Sharpe and Payne 1966). Rosche (1979) reported western grebe summering
in the lower North Platte River Valley, but obtained no evidence of nesting there.
Swenk (1933) reported numerous nests from wetland areas slightly north of our
study area in northern Garden County. Our records consist primarily of adults
found at several locations on Lake McConaughy during June, but observed no evidence
of nesting; we have no doubt this species nests at least occasionally in our area.
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Clark's Grebe --(Aechmophorus clarkii)
T.M. Bergin found a dead male (testes 13 x 5 and 10 x 4 mm) at the Cedar Point
Biological Station, Keith County, on 11 June 1986. This represented the first
confirmed record of the species in Nebraska. Little known at the eastern limit
of the species range, Clark's grebe may nest at least occasionally in the Platte
River valley.
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Least Bittern --(Ixobrychus exilis)
Johnsgard (1980) speculated that least bittern nests in Nebraska as far west as
Garden County where it has been observed in summer at Crescent Lake National Wildlife
Refuge. Lingle found a single least bittern near Doniphan, Hall County on 14 August
1985, and at Mormon Island Crane Meadows on 24 May 1986.
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Cinnamon Teal --(Anas cyanoptera)
Rosche (1979) reported male cinnamon teal in the lower North Platte River valley
as late as 4 June. Johnsgard (1980) mentioned probable nesting at Crescent Lake
National Wildlife Refuge. Lingle observed two males at the Taylor Ranch, Hall
County, on 12 May 1985. Faanes found a male at Mormon Island Crane Meadows on
20 May 1986. Rising (1974) considered cinnamon teal "probably a low density summer
resident" in western Kansas.
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Canvasback --(Aythya valisineria)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service files contain records of canvasback on Rainwater
Basin wetlands during the late 1960's. Johnsgards (1980) described canvasback
as a local breeding species in the Sandhills physiographic region. Sharpe and
Payne (1966) found a canvasback nest on an island in a wetland at the Crescent
Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Garden County, during early June 1965.
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Lesser Scaup --(Aythya afinis)
Johnsgard (1980) reported occasional nesting by lesser scaup at Crescent Lake
National Wildlife Refuge, Garden County. We believe that lesser scaup nest at
least occasionally in our area.
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Hooded Merganser --(Lophodytes cucullatus)
Bruner et al. (1904) reported several records of hooded merganser nests from Cuming,
Gage and Lancaster Counties, Nebraska during the 1800's. The nearest location
of regular nesting to the Platte River valley is North Dakota (Johnsgard 1979).
Sharpe and Payne (1966) flushed a female from Blue Creek about 14.5 km southeast
of the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge headquarters during June 1965.
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Ruddy Duck --(Oxyura jamaicensis)
Johnsgard (1980) reported ruddy duck as a local summer resident on permanent wetlands
in the Sandhills and the Rainwater Basin area. Sharpe and Payne (1966) reported
that ruddy ducks were present in relatively large numbers on most water bodies
at the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Garden County, during 7-11 June
1965. Our records include one pair at the North Platte sewage lagoon, Lincoln
County, on 29 May 1979. We have no doubt that this duck nests at least occasionally
in our study area.
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Gray Partridge --(Perdix perdix)
Johnsgard (1980) reported that Adams County is one of the areas in Nebraska where
gray partridge has been observed most regularly in the State. Viehmeyer (1942)
described early stocking activities in Nebraska including 54 birds released in
Buffalo, and 25 birds in Merrick Counties during 1929-1931. The stocking efforts
were considered only fairly successful, and apparently later failed. We have never
observed this species in the study area, although the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission has maintained a hunting season on gray partridge here since 1983.
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Chukar --(Alectoris chukar)
Johnsgard (1980) mentioned the release of 700 chukar in Scottsbluff County in
1969. Subsequent observations, as late as 1976, were made as far east as Lincoln
County. There is a possibility that a limited population may still exist in the
study area, especially in the canyon region between the North and South Platte
rivers in Garden, Keith, and Lincoln counties.
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Rallus elegans --(Rallus elegans)
There are several records from the Clear Creek marshes at the upper end of Lake
McConaughy, in Keith and Garden counties. Rosche (1979) found one there on 23
April 1977. Faanes saw an adult at Clear Creek on 5 June 1979. Johnsgard (1980)
reported that king rail occurs in Nebraska during 2 April and 11 September, and
stated that nesting is possible at Clear Creek.
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Snowy Plover --(Charadrius alexandrinus)
Johnsgard (1980) reported this species as an extremely rare migrant in Nebraska,
stating that there was no evidence of nesting in the State. Bliese (1975) found
single snowy plovers on 20 June and 29 June 1974 along the shore of a wetland
5.5 km northeast of Funk, Phelps County; two snowy plovers were present there
25 June 1974. Lingle has seen this species twice on unvegetated river channel
islands in the Platte River, Buffalo County on 24 May 1978 and 25 July 1984. On
24 May 1978, he watched a pair preparing a nest scrape on an island. A subsequent
rise in the water level washed out the nesting attempt. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
ornithology class observed a pair of snowy plover on the South Platte River near
Ogallala, Keith County in June 1976 that was engaged in a distraction display.
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Mountain Plover --(Charadrius montanus)
Johnsgard (1980) reported the observation of young mountain plover in Kimball
County in 1974 as the only evidence of nesting in Nebraska. Cooke (1910) mentioned
a clutch of eggs collected "at North Platte" on 8 July 1859. Because of the vague
nest location described by Cooke, we are not certain that the nest was actually
in our study area. Undoubtedly extensive areas of habitat suitable for supporting
nesting mountain plovers existed throughout the western edge of the study area
in 1859. However, the settlement of North Platte did not exist in 1859. Cooke
may have been using the river as a reference location, thus making any point along
the entire course of the river in Nebraska or Wyoming the potential nest site.
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Willet --(Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)
Johnsgard (1980) described the willet as a locally common summer resident in the
Sandhills physiographic region. Sharpe and Payne (1966) reported that willets
were present and apparently on established breeding territories at Crescent Lake
National Wildlife Refuge, Garden County, during 7-11 June 1965. We have no doubt
that the willet nests, at least occasionally, within the boundaries of our study
area.
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Franklin's Gull --(Larus pipixcan)
Johnsgard (1980) described Franklin's gull as a very rare or accidental nesting
species in Nebraska, with breeding season records only from northern Garden County.
Sharpe and Payne (1966) found 2 nests, each with 2 eggs on Smith Lake, Crescent
Lake National Wildlife Refuge during 7-11 June 1965. Rosche (1979) recorded this
species as a summer visitor in the lower North Platte River valley. We found Franklin's
gull fairly regularly on Lake McConaughy during late May to July 1978-1980. The
birds present many have been non-breeding sub-adults, or breeding birds from colonies
in the Sandhills that were foraging there.
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Forster's Tern --(Sterna forsteri)
Johnsgard (1980) reported that Forster's tern was a highly localized summer resident
in the Sandhills, especially in Garden County. Sharpe and Payne (1966) found one
nest at Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge during 7-11 June 1965; several
hundred adults were present on Smith Lake with many exhibiting territorial behavior.
Hudson (1938b) found Forster's tern commonly at Hastings, Adams County, during
6-9 June 1937.
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Long-eared Owl --(Asio otus)
Johnsgard (1979) considered long-eared owl a rare to uncommon nesting species
in Nebraska. Johnsgard's figure depicting the nesting distribution of this species
across the Great Plains shows long-eared owl widely distributed throughout our
study area. We have never observed long-eared owl in the Platte River Valley,
or are we aware of any specific records of nests from the literature.
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Common Poorwill --(Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)
Johnsgard (1979) described the nesting distribution of common poorwill in the
Great Plains to include the portion of our study area westward from the Dawson
- Lincoln County border. Tout (1947) described the observation of a common poorwill
west of North Platte, Lincoln County on 6 June 1913. Rosche (1979) recorded common
poorwill at Ash Hollow, Garden County, 23 April 1977. Faanes found a singing male
at Ash Hollow on 8 June 1979. We believe that common poorwill nests, at least
occasionally, in the extensive, highly eroded canyon lands along the North Platte
River, upstream from Lake McConaughy in Garden County.
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Whip-poorwill --(Caprimulgus vociferus)
Johnsgard (1980) described this species as a summer resident in Nebraska along
the Missouri River. The only suggestion we have of whip-poor-will occurrence in
our area is the anecdotal account by Swanson (1954) of this species being present
throughout the summer in southeastern Merrick County.
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird --(Achilochus colubris)
There is considerable evidence suggesting that ruby-throated hummingbird nests
in our area. Johnsgard (1980) stated that nesting occurs "an uncertain distance"
west along the Platte River in Nebraska. Tout (1947) recorded this hummingbird
at North Platte during 3 June to 9 October, and observed that the species was
seen virtually everyday during the summer, although a nest was never located.
Ludden (1956) included (without details) ruby-throated hummingbird among the species
he found nesting on the campus of Kearney State College, Buffalo County. Johnsgard
(1985) reported, without details, that ruby-throated hummingbird nests in Nebraska
as far west as North Platte. Our records of this species in the study area are
restricted to spring and fall migration.
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Golden-crowned Kinglet --(Regulus satrapa)
Weakley (1938) reported that a pair of golden-crowned kinglets spent June and
early July 1938 at the Agricultural Experiment Station grounds in North Platte.
The birds frequented a group of spruce trees and there was evidence of nesting
including several observations of the birds carrying what appeared to be nest
material. However, Weakley found neither a nest or young. The nearest known nesting
area of this species is the Black Hills region of South Dakota (Johnsgard 1979),
where it is an uncommon permanent resident at higher elevations (Pettingill and
Whitney 1965).
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Sage Thrasher --(Oreoscoptes montanus)
Tout (1942) observed a sage thrasher along a road southwest of North Platte, Lincoln
County, on 4 July 1942. After a brief observation, the bird flew into thick vegetation
and was not seen again. The nearest area of regular nesting is the Buffalo Gap
National Grassland in South Dakota (Johnsgard 1979). Sage thrasher is probably
a rare summer resident in Sioux County, Nebraska (Johnsgard 1980).
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Yellow-throated Vireo --(Vireo flavifrons)
Johnsgard (1980) reported yellow-throated vireo as an uncommon summer resident
along the Platte River west to Hall County. We have never observed this species
in the study area except as a spring and fall migrant.
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Clay-colored Sparrow --(Spizella pallida)
Bennett (1974) provided a record of a young clay-colored sparrow in Hall County
which is considered the only confirmed nest record for Nebraska (Johnsgard 1980).
We question the validity of this record based on the lack of suitable nesting
habitat for this species in the area, and the distance from the normal breeding
range.
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