Gyrfalcon in Boyd County, Nebraska

Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is considered in Nebraska to be a rare casual winter visitor statewide (Sharpe et al. 2001). Since 1990, there has been only one NOURC (Nebraska Ornithologists\u27 Union Records Committee) accepted record (Class III) for Gyrfalcon in Nebraska (Jorgensen 2003). This bird was a gray morph adult observed below Keystone Dam, Keith Co., 01 January 2001 (Silcock 2001). Nebraska has no April dates for Gyrfalcon, although South Dakota has several April records: 10 Apr 2001, Jones Co., and 23 Apr 1955, Pennington Co., (Tallman et al. 2002). Additionally, an immature Gyrfalcon was photographed 5 April 2010 south of Pierre, South Dakota. The following documents the first April date for Gyrfalcon in Nebraska. Documentation of this sighting has been accepted as a Class III record by the 2015 NOURC (Accession # 1708)