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List of birds of Nebraska facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Western Meadowlark
The western meadowlark is the state bird of Nebraska.

Welcome to the amazing world of birds in Nebraska! This is a list of all the different kinds of birds that have been seen and officially recorded in Nebraska. The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union (NOU) keeps track of these birds.

As of August 2021, there are 467 different bird species on the official list! That's a lot of birds! Some of these birds are always in Nebraska, while others visit during certain seasons, like summer or winter, or just pass through during their long migrations.

You'll see some special tags next to certain birds. Here's what they mean:

  • (C) - Casual: These birds have been seen in Nebraska 4 to 7 times in the last 10 years. They don't visit very often.
  • (A) - Accidental: These birds have been seen only 0 to 2 times in the last 10 years. It's very rare to spot them!
  • (Ex) - Extirpated: These birds used to live in Nebraska but haven't been seen here in the last 50 years. They are gone from Nebraska, but might still live in other places.
  • (X) - Extinct: These birds are sadly no longer alive anywhere in the world. They are gone forever.
  • (I) - Introduced: These birds were brought to North America by humans, not by nature.

Contents

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl: Birds of the Water

Branta-canadensis-004
The Canada goose is a common sight in Nebraska.

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This group includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds love water! They have webbed feet to help them swim, and their feathers are naturally oily to shed water. Their beaks are often flat, which helps them find food in the water. Nebraska has recorded 46 different types of these water-loving birds.

New World Quail: Small Ground Birds

Order: Galliformes   Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, round birds that live on the ground. They look a bit like the quails from other parts of the world. Only one type of New World quail has been seen in Nebraska.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Their Relatives

PrairieChicken
The Greater prairie-chicken is a fascinating bird.

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and grouse. These birds also live on the ground. They can be different sizes but are usually plump with wide, short wings. Many of them are hunted for sport or raised for food. Eight species from this family have been recorded in Nebraska.

Grebes: Diving Birds of Freshwater

Podilymbus-podiceps-001
The Pied-billed grebe is a great swimmer.

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized birds that dive in freshwater. They have special lobed toes that make them excellent swimmers and divers. However, their feet are set far back on their bodies, so they are clumsy on land. Six types of grebes have been seen in Nebraska.

Pigeons and Doves: Common Birds with Short Necks

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with sturdy bodies, short necks, and thin beaks. Eight different species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Cuckoos: Birds with Long Tails

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The cuckoo family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds vary in size and have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Three species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Nightjars and Allies: Nighttime Flyers

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually build their nests on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very small beaks. Their soft feathers are colored to help them blend in with tree bark or leaves. Four species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Swifts: Birds That Love to Fly

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a crescent moon. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Hummingbirds: Tiny, Hovering Wonders

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds famous for hovering in mid-air by flapping their wings super fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward! Eight different types of hummingbirds have been seen in Nebraska.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots: Shy Water Birds

Fulica americana3
The American coot is a common water bird.

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This large family includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Most of these birds live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are usually shy and hard to spot. They have strong legs and long toes, which help them walk on soft, uneven ground. Nine species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Limpkin: A Unique Wading Bird

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Aramidae

The limpkin is a unique bird that looks like a large rail. However, its skeleton is more like that of a crane.

Cranes: Tall, Elegant Birds

Grus americana Sasata
The Whooping crane is a very tall bird.

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. When they fly, their necks are stretched out, which is different from herons. Many cranes have special, loud "dances" they do to find a mate. Four species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Stilts and Avocets: Long-Legged Waders

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts. They are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and long, upward-curved beaks. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight beaks. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Plovers and Lapwings: Shoreline Birds

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short necks, and long, pointed wings. You can find them in open areas, especially near water. Seven species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Sandpipers and Allies: Diverse Shorebirds

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, and more. Most of these birds eat small insects and worms they find in mud or soil. Different beak and leg lengths allow many species to feed in the same area without competing for food. Thirty-three species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Skuas and Jaegers: Powerful Sea Birds

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

Skuas and jaegers are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown. They often have white marks on their wings. They have longish beaks with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large, dark gulls but are strong, acrobatic flyers. Three species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins: Ocean Dwellers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

This family includes auks, murres, and puffins. These birds have short wings and live on the open ocean. They only come to land to breed. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers: Coastal Birds

Larus-delawarensis-021
The Ring-billed gull is often seen near water.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

This family includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. They are medium to large seabirds, usually gray or white, often with black markings. They have strong, longish beaks and webbed feet. Twenty-four species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Loons: Diving Birds with Rear Legs

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck, but not related to them. They are mostly gray or black and have spear-shaped beaks. Loons swim very well and fly well, but they are almost helpless on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies. Four species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Storks: Large Wading Birds

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy, wading birds with long legs, long necks, and strong beaks. They have wide wings. Storks do not have a voice box, so they are mute. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Frigatebirds: Masters of the Air

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds found over tropical oceans. They are mostly black or black and white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colorful throat pouches that can inflate. They cannot swim or walk well and can't take off from a flat surface. They have the largest wingspan compared to their body weight of any bird, allowing them to stay in the air for more than a week! One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Boobies and Gannets: Plunge Divers

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Anhingas: Snake-like Swimmers

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas are water birds that look like cormorants but have very long necks and straight beaks. They eat fish and often swim with only their neck above the water, looking like a snake. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Cormorants and Shags: Dark Water Birds

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large aquatic birds, usually with dark feathers and colorful skin on their faces. Their beak is long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have four webbed toes. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Pelicans: Birds with Pouches

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a special pouch under their beak. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns: Wading Birds

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns have shorter necks and are more secretive. When flying, these birds pull their necks back, unlike storks or ibises. Twelve species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Ibises and Spoonbills: Unique Beaks

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings, elongated bodies, and long legs. Their beaks are also long; ibises have downward-curved beaks, while spoonbills have distinctively flat, spoon-shaped beaks. Four species have been recorded in Nebraska.

New World Vultures: Nature's Clean-up Crew

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures are not closely related to vultures from other parts of the world, but they look similar because they do the same job: eating dead animals. Unlike Old World vultures, which find food by sight, New World vultures have a great sense of smell to find carcasses. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Osprey: The Fish Hunter

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Osprey is a bird of prey that eats fish. It has a very large, strong, hooked beak for tearing meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and excellent eyesight. This family has only one species.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites: Birds of Prey

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Full Body 1880px
The Red-tailed hawk is a common sight.

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. These birds of prey have very large, strong, hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey. They also have strong legs, powerful talons, and sharp eyesight. Seventeen species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Barn-Owls: Owls with Heart-Shaped Faces

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with big heads and unique heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Owls: Night Hunters

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are solitary birds of prey that hunt at night. They have large eyes that face forward and big ears. They also have a hawk-like beak and a circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. Eleven species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Kingfishers: Fisher Birds

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed beaks, short legs, and stubby tails. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Woodpeckers: Tree Tappers

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues for catching insects. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks. Twelve species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Falcons and Caracaras: Fast Hunters

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras. They are birds of prey that hunt during the day. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks, not their talons. Six species have been recorded in Nebraska.

New World and African Parrots: Colorful Talkers

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a special curved beak. They often sit upright. All parrots have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward on each foot. Most of the more than 150 species in this family live in the New World. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Tyrant Flycatchers: Insect Eaters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are songbirds found across North and South America. They look a bit like flycatchers from other parts of the world but are stronger and have sturdier beaks. Most of them eat insects. Twenty-three species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Vireos: Greenish Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are small to medium-sized songbirds. They are usually greenish and look a bit like wood-warblers, but they have stronger beaks. Ten species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Shrikes: Impaling Hunters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds known for catching other birds and small animals. They sometimes impale the uneaten parts of their prey on thorns, like a butcher. A shrike's beak is hooked, similar to a bird of prey. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies: Smart Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger species are very intelligent. Ten species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice: Small Woodland Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mostly small, sturdy woodland birds with short, strong beaks. Some have crests on their heads. They are adaptable birds that eat a mix of seeds and insects. Three species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Larks: Ground Birds with Songs

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small ground birds often known for their fancy songs and display flights. Most larks look fairly plain. They eat insects and seeds. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Swallows: Aerial Feeders

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

This family of songbirds is known for how well they fly and catch food in the air. They have slender, streamlined bodies, long pointed wings, and short beaks with wide mouths. Their feet are better for perching than walking. Eight species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Kinglets: Tiny Crowned Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of birds that look like titmice. They are very tiny birds that eat insects. Adult kinglets have colorful crowns on their heads, which gives them their name. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Waxwings: Silky Feathered Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are a group of songbirds with soft, silky feathers and unique red tips on some of their wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax. They live in northern forests and eat insects in summer and berries in winter. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Silky-Flycatchers: Related to Waxwings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ptiliogonatidae

Silky-flycatchers are a small family of songbirds mostly found in Central America. They are related to waxwings and also have soft, silky feathers, usually gray or pale yellow. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Nuthatches: Head-First Climbers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, which most other birds can't do. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong beaks and feet. Four species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Treecreepers: Bark Explorers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curved beaks, which they use to pull insects out of tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, to help them support themselves on vertical trees. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Gnatcatchers: Tiny Insect Hunters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds are similar to Old World warblers in how they look and act. They move around restlessly through leaves, looking for insects. Gnatcatchers are usually soft bluish-gray and have a typical insect-eating bird's long, sharp beak. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Wrens: Small Birds with Loud Songs

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard to see, but they have very loud songs! They have short wings and thin, downward-curved beaks. Many species hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects. Nine species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers: Amazing Mimics

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

This family includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and catbirds. These birds are famous for their voices, especially their amazing ability to copy many other bird calls and outdoor sounds. They usually have dull gray and brown feathers. Five species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Starlings: Gregarious Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly and like to be in large groups. They prefer open areas and eat insects and fruit. Their feathers are usually dark with a metallic shine. One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Dippers: Underwater Walkers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are small, sturdy birds that feed in cold, fast-moving streams. They can actually walk underwater! One species has been recorded in Nebraska.

Thrushes and Allies: Ground Feeders with Sweet Songs

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds, mostly found in the Old World. They are plump, soft-feathered, small to medium-sized birds that eat insects or sometimes everything. They often feed on the ground. Many have beautiful songs. Ten species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Old World Sparrows: Small Seed Eaters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. They are generally small, plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Wagtails and Pipits: Slender Ground Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are slender, ground-feeding birds that eat insects in open areas. They have medium to long tails. Two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies: Seed-Eating Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are songbirds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-large and have strong, often cone-shaped beaks. They have a bouncy flight, flapping and then gliding with closed wings. Most finches sing well. Fifteen species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings: Grassland Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

This group of songbirds is usually found in open grassy areas. Five species have been recorded in Nebraska.

New World Sparrows: Diverse Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

These birds are often called sparrows, but they are not closely related to the Old World sparrows. Many of them have unique patterns on their heads. Twenty-nine species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Yellow-breasted Chat: A Unique Bird

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This bird was once thought to be a wood-warbler, but scientists now know it's unique enough to have its own family!

Troupials and Allies: Colorful New World Birds

Bullock's Oriole
The Bullock's oriole is a colorful bird.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized songbirds found only in the New World. Many species are black, often with bright yellow, orange, or red colors. Fifteen species have been recorded in Nebraska.

New World Warblers: Small and Colorful

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

Wood warblers are a group of small, often colorful songbirds found only in the New World. Most live in trees, but some, like the ovenbird, live more on the ground. Most birds in this family eat insects. Forty-two species have been recorded in Nebraska.

Cardinals and Allies: Strong-Billed Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals are a family of sturdy, seed-eating birds with strong beaks. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different feather colors. Twelve species have been recorded in Nebraska.

See Also

  • List of birds
  • Lists of birds by region
  • List of North American birds
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List of birds of Nebraska Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.