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Mega-rarity – Swallow-tailed Kite in Kearney

Joel Jorgensen July 26, 2016 Leave a comment

Yesterday (25 July 2015), a Swallow-tailed Kite was photographed at Cottonmill Lake near Kearney.  Below is a photo of the bird taken by the observer, Dave Gleason.

IMG_20160725_123321974

Swallow-tailed Kites historically occurred in Nebraska, but were extirpated before 1900.   Since the species was extirpated there is only one other previously-accepted record – a bird observed below Fort Falls, Cherry County, 26 May 2013.   Thus,  this observation is one heck of a record.

Good birding!

Nongame Bird Program

Many thanks to Jim Jenniges for passing along this report.  

About Joel Jorgensen

Joel Jorgensen is a Nebraska native and he has been interested in birds just about as long as he has been breathing. He has been NGPC’s Nongame Bird Program Manager for eight years and he works on a array of monitoring, research, regulatory and conservation issues. Nongame birds are the 400 or so species that are not hunted and include the Whooping Crane, Least Tern, Piping Plover, Bald Eagle, and Peregrine Falcon. When not working, he enjoys birding.

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