2018 REPORT OF THE KANSAS BIRD RECORD COMMITTEE
This report summarizes the activities of the Committee for the calendar year 2018. The Committee received 39 reports, of which 35 were evaluated, recording the occurrence of 32 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 Ornithological Society’s (AOS) Check-list of North American Birds, Seventh Edition (American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds: The Species of Birds of North America from the Arctic through Panama, Including the West Indies and Hawaiian Islands. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington,
D.C.), updated through the 59th Supplement (Chesser, R.T., K.J. Burns, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., D.F. Stotz, B.M. Winger, and K. Winkler. 2018. Fifty-ninth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk, Ornithological Advances 135:798-813.).
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-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis), 2018-31, one adult, 30 September 2018, Smoky Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Saline County, reported by Kaleb Kroeker. Documented with photographs. Seventh state record.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), 2018-07, one adult male, 7 - 8 May 2018, Great Bend, Barton County, reported by Karole Erikson, also seen by Jay Miller. Documented with photographs. Thirteenth state record.
Little Stint (Calidris minuta), 2018-26, one unknown age, 30 August 2018, 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.
Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus), 2018-25, one adult, 3 September 2018, Clinton Lake, Douglas County, reported by Dan Broers, also reported by Dave Williams, and Will Chatfield Taylor and seen by many observers. Documented with photographs. Fourteenth state record.
Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), 2018-03, one immature, 28 January 2018, John Redmond Reservoir, Coffey County, reported by Aaron Batterbee, also seen by Malcolm Gold. Documented with a photograph. Twentieth state record.
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), 2018-17, one unknown age, 10 - 15 July 2018, Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, Finney County, reported by Shannon Coates also seen by Rebecca McElroy. Documented with photographs. Westernmost record in Kansas.
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), 2018-32, one adult, 18 August 2018, county road in northwest Saline County, reported by Kaleb Kroeker. Documented with photographs.
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus), 2018–18, one unknown age, 26 July 2018, residential neighborhood, Wichita, Sedgwick County, reported by Allan Volkman.
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) 2018–22, one adult, 28 August to 5 September 2018, Kaw River State Park, Shawnee County, reported by Sue Newland and seen by many observers. Documented with photographs.
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) 2018–23, one adult, 22 April 2018, flying over downtown Reading, Lyon County, reported by Debby McKee. Documented with drawing and field notes.
Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii), 2018-05, one adult, 5 September 2010, Cimarron National Grasslands picnic area and campground along K-27 highway, Morton County, reported by Matt Gearheart and numerous other observers. Documented with photographs. Ninth state record.
Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii), 2018-30, one adult, 22 September 2018, Tunnerville Work Station, Cimarron National Grasslands, Morton County, reported by Andrew Miller, also seen by Kevin Groeneweg, Jeff Calhoun, and Gregg Friesen. Documented with photographs. Tenth state record.
Cassin’s Vireo (Vireo cassinii), 2018-29, one adult, 8 May 2014, Elkhart Cemetery, Morton County, reported by Will Chatfield-Taylor. Documented with photographs and audio recording. This record was originally filed as KBRC 2014-15.
Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeus), 2018-11, one adult, 5 May 2018, wooded pond at Elkhart sewage lagoons and Elkhart shelterbelt, Morton County, reported by David Wiggins. Documented with photographs.
Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), 2018-12, one adult, 29 to 30 April 2018, Cimarron National Grasslands picnic area and campground along K-27 highway, Morton County, reported by David Wiggins. Documented with photographs.
Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus), 2018-16, one adult, 12 May 2018, rural residence in northwestern Stevens County, reported by Jeff Calhoun, also seen by Henry Armknecht. Documented with video that included the bird vocalizing. Sixth state record.
Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus), 2018-02, one adult, 28 December 2017, rural residence near Satanta, Haskell County, reported by Kathy Carroll, also seen by David Kirsch, William Kirsch, and John Mallery. Documented with a photograph.
Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus), 2018-24, one adult, 2 September 2018, along Cheyenne County Road 15 near Nebraska State Line, Cheyenne County, reported by Kelli Egbert, also seen by Stuart Hazard. Documented with photographs.
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata), 2018-27, one adult, 23 September 2018, near Point of Rocks, Cimarron National Grasslands, Morton County, reported by Andrew Miller, also seen by Kevin Groeneweg and Jeff Calhoun. Documented with photographs. Eleventh state record.
Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus), 2009-16, one adult female, 9 July 2009, near Partridge, Reno County, reported by Miriam Isashige, also seen by Hiromi Iwashige. This record was originally submitted in 2009, but not accepted by KBRC as the committee felt it had inconclusive evidence to be a first state record. Upon re-evaluation, including recent evidence indicating that the species has been expanding its range and the 2018 record (KBRC 2018-15), it was felt that there was no other species that it could be, and the record was accepted. First state record for Kansas and will be added to the KOS Checklist with hypothetical status.
Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus), 2018-15, adult male and adult female, 2 June 2018, at Arkalon Park campground, Seward County, reported by Ethan Kistler and seen by many observers. Documented with photographs. Second state record. First with documentation and will be removed from the hypothetical list. Birds were reported from 2 June through 25 July 2018. As many as seven birds were reported on one occasion.
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera), 2018-06, one adult male, 2 - 3 May 2018, along Smoky Hill River on the edge of Ellsworth, Ellsworth County, reported by Dave Klema, also seen by Roger Schultz and Mike Rader. Documented with photographs.
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera), 2018-08, one adult male, 9 May 2018, at rural residence southwest of Wilson, Russell County, reported by Dave Klema. Documented with photographs
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera), 2018-10, one adult male, 12 May 2018, at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Stafford County, reported by Joseph Miller, also seen by Barry Jones, Michal Miller, and Anthony Miller. Documented with photographs.
Swainson’s Warbler (Lymnothlypis swainsoni), 2018-13, one adult, 15 May 2018, Mill Creek Streamway Trail in Shawnee, Johnson County, reported by Terry Swope. Documented with photographs. Ninth state record.
Connecticut Warbler (Oporonis agilis), 2018-14, one adult male, 15 - 18 May 2018, Mill Creek Streamway north of Shawnee Mission Park, Johnson County, reported by Malcolm Gold, also seen by numerous other observers. Eleventh state record.
Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus), 2018-04, one adult male, 2 February 2018, near Anthony Lake, Harper County, found by Elsie Fisher, reported by Kevin Groeneweg, also seen by many observers. Documented with photographs. Eighth state record. Bird was reported through 15 March 2018.
RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED
Mew Gull (Larus canus) 2018-35, one sub-adult, 12 January 2017, John Redmond Reservoir, Coffey County. Insufficient details to eliminate similar gull species.
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), 2018-33, one unknown age, 21 October 2018, Bone Creek Reservoir, Crawford County. Insufficient details to separate from either cormorant species.
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) 2018–20, one unknown age, 14 August 2018, Sandhills State Park, Reno County. Insufficient details to separate from other kite species.
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana), 2018-01, one adult male, 1 January 2018, near Medicine Lodge, Barber County. Insufficient details to separate from other bluebird species.
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla), 2018-34, one adult male, 28 November 2018, Wichita residence, Sedgwick County. Insufficient details to separate from other warbler species or kinglets.
Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava), 2018-09, one adult male, 7 May 2018, shelterbelt north of the Elkhart Cemetery, Morton County. Insufficient details to separate from Summer Tanager.
Members of the KBRC voting on these records:
Nic Allen
Matt Gearheart
Malcolm Gold (Alternate)
Kevin Groeneweg
Terry Mannell
Cheryl Miller
Chuck Otte (Secretary)
Max Thompson (Alternate)
Eugene A. Young (Chair)
Submitted by Chuck Otte, KBRC Secretary