2015 REPORT OF THE KANSAS BIRD RECORD COMMITTEE

 

This report summarizes the activities of the Committee for the calendar year 2015. The Committee received 38 reports, of which 32 were evaluated, recording the occurrence of 29 different birds. All reports are archived in The University of Kansas Natural History Museum in Lawrence, Kansas.

 

Submissions are assigned a sequential number in the order in which they are received, with the year of receipt as a prefix. Submissions that are not on the review list, or not considered extraordinary, may not be circulated to the Committee. Birds are listed in phylogenetic order under each of two categories: Records Accepted and Records Not Accepted. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds, Seventh Edition, 1998, updated through the 56th supplement (2015, The Auk: Ornithological Advances 132:748-764, 2015).

 

After the English and scientific name the following, if available, are provided: KBRC record number, the number of individuals seen, with sex, age or plumage notes; date(s) of observation; locality; observer(s), with those documenting the record listed first; supporting physical evidence; and finally, pertinent comments on changes to the species status on the Kansas Ornithological Society (KOS) checklist. Records that were not accepted by the Committee have observer(s) names omitted, with a brief explanation of the rationale behind that decision.

 

Authors, when citing KBRC records from this report, are encouraged to give credit to the observer(s) associated with the observation along with a full citation of this report.

 

RECORDS ACCEPTED

 

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), 2015-19, adult, 12 June 2015, Steven Lloyd Wetlands, Milford Lake, Clay County, reported by Marie Rust, documented with a photograph. Eighteenth state record.

 

Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima), 2015-34, adult, 23 December 2015, Wilson Lake, Russell County, reported by Brent Galliart and Dave Klema, documented with photographs. First state record for Kansas and will be added to the KOS Checklist.

 

Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus), 2015-24, adult, 19 to 20 August 2015, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Barton County, reported by Jacob Cooper, also reported by Andrew Miller, and seen by many observers, documented with photographs. Sixth state record.

 

Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix), 2015-28, unknown age, 6 October 2015, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Barton County, reported by Robert Penner, documented with a photograph. Second state record. First with documentation and will be removed from the hypothetical list.

 

Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus), 2015-29, immature, 7 to 8 October 2015,Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Barton County, reported by Nick Varvel, also seen by many observers, documented with photographs. Twenty-first state record.
 

The KBRC received several records in 2015 of Kumlien’s Gull, a purported subspecies of Iceland Gull. Gull identification is challenging at best, and the Thayer’s/Iceland/Kumlien’s complex is extremely so. The American Ornithologists’ Union currently considers Kumlien’s to be a subspecies of Iceland Gull. Other’s consider Kumlien’s to be a hybrid of Iceland and Thayer’s Gull, and others feel that all three are Iceland Gulls with Kumlien’s and Thayer’s being subspecies of Iceland Gull. The committee chose not to evaluate the records on the subspecies level and simply evaluate them as Iceland Gulls.

 

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), 2015-03, immature,  10 February 2015, Reno County Landfill, Reno County, reported by Andrew Miller, also seen by Bryant Miller, documented with photographs. Twelfth state record.

 

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), 2015-05, immature,  12 February 2015, Reno County Landfill, Reno County, reported by Joseph Miller, also seen by Bryant Miller, and Andrew Miller, documented with photographs. Photos indicate that this bird is different than KBRC Record #2015-03. Thirteenth state record.

 

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), 2015-04, 2nd winter plumage, 15 February 2015, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Management Area, Barton County, reported by Aaron Balogh, also seen by Nate Shipley, documented with photographs. Fourteenth state record.

 

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), 2015-07, 1st winter plumage, 20 February 2015, Reno County Landfill, Reno County, reported by Andrew Miller, also seen by Bryant Miller, documented with photographs. Fifteenth state record.

 

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), 2015-08, adult, 3 March 2015, Hillsdale Lake State Park, Miami County, reported by Mark Land, documented with a photograph. Sixteenth state record.

 

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus), 2015-06, 1st winter plumage, 20 February 2015, Clinton Reservoir, Douglas County, reported by Jon King, documented with photographs. Sixteenth state record.

 

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus), 2015-13, adult, 14 April 2015, Lucas Park area of Wilson Lake, Russel County, reported by Dave Klema, documented with photographs. Seventeenth state record.

 

Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina), 2015-31, immature, 24 to 25 October 2015, urban residence, Topeka, Shawnee County, reported by Ralph Hoover, documented with photographs.

 

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), 2015-18, adult female, 6 August 2014, Oak Park, Wichita, Sedgwick County, reported by Paul Griffin, documented with photographs. Eleventh state record.

 

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), 2015-23, adult female, 12 August 2015, rural residence, Partridge, Reno County, reported by Andrew Miller. Also seen by Myron Miller and Bryant Miller, documented with photographs. Twelfth state record.

 

Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus), 2015-30, adult female, 11 October 2015, rural road intersection, west of Chanute, Neosho County, reported by Sheryl Busse, also seen by Kristy Hughes, documented with photographs.

 

Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius), 2015-16, adult, 8 to 10 May 2015, Scott Lake State Park, Scott County, reported by Christopher Lituma, Brandon Percival, Bryan White, and many observers, documented with photographs. First state record for Kansas and will be added to the KOS Checklist.

 

Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus), 2015-21, unknown age, 20 December 2014, Scott Lake State Park, Scott County, reported by Jeff Calhoun, and also seen by Henry Armknecht, documented with video and audio recording. First state record for Kansas and will be added to the KOS Checklist.

 

Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera), 2015-25, immature female, 24 August 2015, near Arlington, Reno County, reported by Andrew Miller. Also seen by Michael Miller, Anthony Miller, and Bryant Miller, documented with photographs. A westerly record in Kansas.

 

Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus), 2015-20, adult male, 29 April 2015, Ford County State Fishing Lake, Ford County, reported by Jeff Calhoun, documented with photograph and video. Fifth state record.

 

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina), 2015-01, adult of unknown gender, 13 January 2015, Shawnee Mission Park, Johnson County, reported by Brett Budach. A rare winter record for this species in Kansas.

 

Scott’s Oriole (Icterus parisorum), 2015-27, sub-adult male, 28 May 2015, rural intersection in central Kiowa County, reported by Jay Newton. Second state record.

 

Cassin’s Finch (Haemorhous cassinii), 2015-26, adult female, 8 January 2014, rural residence near Partridge, Reno County, reported by Andrew Miller, also seen by Bryant Miller, documented with photographs. Easternmost record in Kansas.

 

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED

 

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), 2015-17, of unknown age, 13 May 2015, in flight near Kansas River, Johnson County. Details provided did not rule out a cormorant species.

 

Ruff (Calidris pugnax), 2015-33, adult of unknown gender, 29 August 2015, Elk City Lake, Montgomery County, accompanied by one photograph. Insufficient details to separate from other Calidris sandpipers.

 

Mew Gull (Larus canus), 2015-32, adult, 18 November 2014, sandpit near Hutchinson, Reno County. Description and photographs did not rule out similar gull species.

 

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), 2015-10, male of unknown age, 11 April 2015, Overland Park residence, Johnson County. Details provided did not rule out leucistic/albinistic hawk or other large owl species.

 

Hammond’s Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii), 2015-02, unknown age or gender, 1 September 2014, Clark State Fishing Lake, Clark County. Insufficient details to separate from other Empidonax flycatchers. Empidonax flycatchers in the fall are notoriously difficult to differentiate.

 

Virginia’s Warbler (Oreothlypis virginiae), 2015-15, adult male, 6 May 2015, Wichita State University Campus, Sedgwick County. Details provided did not rule out similar warbler species.

 

 

Members of the KBRC voting on these records:

 

Jeff Calhoun

Kevin Groeneweg

Jon King

Terry Mannell

Cheryl Miller

Chuck Otte (secretary)

Eugene A. Young (chair)

 

Submitted by Chuck Otte, KBRC Secretary