Notes on Black-Legged Kittiwakes in Cedar County, Nebraska

• Main Author: Brogie, Mark A.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 1989
• Subjects: Poultry or Avian Science; Zoology; Bray; Willis; Black-legged Kittiwake; rissa tridactyla
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nebbirdrev/148; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/nebbirdrev/article/1147/viewcontent/Nebraska_Bird_Review_57_2_Jun_1989_Notes_on_a_Black_Legged_Kittiwakes_in_Cedar_County_Nebraska_p53_54.pdf

The Black-legged Kittiwake is listed as accidental for Nebraska by both Johnsgard (1986) and Bray et al. (1986). Only a few documented records exist for this species for the state. Photographs of Black-legged Kittiwakes found in Cedar Co., 1988, are in possession of the author and others have been sent to the Nebraska Records Committee. On 26 November 1988 Bill Huser found a first-winter plumaged Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) at the tailwaters of Gavin's Point Dam, Cedar Co. Nebraska. On 2 December David Stage visited the area and found a Kittiwake frequenting the same area. He observed it feeding in the area where the water is emitted from the power plant and flying to a resting spot on the ice on the south side of Lake Yankton. On 3 Deember Mark and Ellen Brogie observed two different Kittiwakes; both first-winter plumaged birds. The birds were seen on the ice at Lake Yankton and feeding in the area below the power plant. Several photographs were taken. On 4 December Ed M. and Mark Brogie observed and photographed two Kittiwakes feeding together below the power plant. When feeding, the birds often went completely out of sight beneath the surface. The birds could be separated, as one was missing a central tail feather, and the black collar of one birds was noticeably more expensive. Several times the birds flew past at a distance of less than 10 yards. On 5 December Bill Huser and David Stage had three first-winter plumaged Kittiwake was observed periodically from 6 through 17 December by Willis Hall, David Stage, and Mark Brogie.