Breeding Status of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) in the Niobrara River Valley, North-central Nebraska

Authors

W. Ross Silcock, Nebraska Ornithological UnionFollow

Date of this Version

4-2021

Comments

The Nebraska Bird Review Vol. 89 No. 2, pp. 97-101

Abstract

An unexpected Louisiana Waterthrush breeding range extension of some 200 miles westward into the Niobrara River Valley was documented in 2021 when Renee Tressler photographed and recorded adults and two fledged young, as well as an adult carrying food, on Fort Falls Trail, Fort Niobrara NWR, Cherry County, 31 May-14 Jun 2021 (Tressler 2021a, 2021b). Around the same time, “at least two singing individual” Louisiana Waterthrushes were found by Paul Dougherty some eight miles to the east at Smith Falls State Park, Cherry County, 7 June 2021, one of which was recorded; no breeding evidence was reported, although the presence of two territorial birds is suggestive (Dougherty 2021). A further sighting was of one photographed on 28 July at a Niobrara River spring branch canyon 1-2 mi south of Fort Niobrara NWR headquarters, at 42.87552, -100.48946 (Tressler 2021c).