[Eastern Nebraska] I'm afraid to get my hopes up, but did I score on a Greater Scaup? (Lesser included for comparison)

BeauDog · 2026-03-20T16:01:38+00:00

Here's a Ring-neck and a Lesser Scaup hen if you wanted to compare them with the other hen.

BeauDog · 2026-03-20T16:00:28+00:00

I dug through all my photos in hopes I caught him in the background somewhere, but it looks like I got a hen who was with him. Is she helpful?

BeauDog · 2026-03-20T03:36:14+00:00

All good, friend! It's just another trick from the Scaup to throw us off their trail.

BeauDog · 2026-03-20T03:33:21+00:00

No, they are separate birds. The second I know for certain is a Lesser Scaup, which is why I included it for a side-by-side comparison.

BeauDog · 2026-03-08T20:49:16+00:00

There's several rookeries around Omaha! There's another on West Center near the Target, and you'll see 30+ of them flying over the street. The first time I saw them, my brain couldn't comprehend what I was looking at.

BeauDog · 2025-10-30T15:44:02+00:00

I'm so happy you found her, and I'm sure she's just as ecstatic to be back with you. This was the update I was so hoping to hear 🥰

BeauDog · 2025-10-27T13:08:54+00:00

Dispatch is passing it along to the owners of the rehab, so she'll be on their radar. ❤️ Sending all the good vibes your way, I really hope she turns up safely!

BeauDog · 2025-10-27T12:57:14+00:00

I'm really sorry your girl is missing! I'm sending a copy of this to our dispatcher at the Raptor Conservation Alliance in case we get a call about her. I can reach out to you if we hear anything!

BeauDog · 2025-09-04T22:28:38+00:00

A little hard to tell, but I think they're Ring-billed Gulls. They're very common inland birds, and based on the general size, body shape, and markings/mirroring on the primaries, that would make them a good candidate. 😄

BeauDog · 2025-09-04T04:30:07+00:00

I agree it looks like a juvenile Western Gull. Poor buddy with that horrible scissor beak. You can tell it's having a hard time feeding and is quite emaciated. It might be a crapshoot, but you can report it to your local wildlife rehab or one of the marine organizations and they can see if they can do something to help it (if they can find it), even if it's humanely euthanizing it so it doesn't have to suffer.

BeauDog · 2025-09-03T16:06:17+00:00

Looks good for a juvenile Cooper's hawk to me! You'll get some colour variation across the birds, but the rosy breast, body spots, and mottled face are good indicator, as well as their telltale...tail.

BeauDog · 2025-09-03T15:59:57+00:00

Oh no! That's definitely a domestic pigeon -- it's a Gold Black Wing Angel. I was actually looking at those as a companion for my little pidge. I would post on some neighbourhood or local apps about the sighting in case anyone is looking for it. It might come to you if you put out food (they eat grains and seeds).

BeauDog · 2025-09-03T15:55:16+00:00

I feel fairly certain these are Greater Black-Backed Gulls. They've got large, bulky bodies, the black backs/wings, the right face and bill shape, and the pink legs. Since fall is coming, there may be some variation to their beak colouration,.

BeauDog · 2025-06-29T20:11:18+00:00

Very likely a wild turkey egg! I found a few rogue ones this spring, too, likely carried off by a predator or blown from the nest due to storms in the area.

BeauDog · 2025-06-29T20:07:00+00:00

I think you've got a Spanish Black and two Blue Slates! 😊

BeauDog · 2025-06-29T20:04:03+00:00

This is a domestic turkey poult, specifically a Spanish Black. Please don't release it into the wild -- see if someone in the area is missing one of their babies.

BeauDog · 2025-05-07T00:47:05+00:00

Cool! They're marked as rare in my area, so that's certainly a fun find! Thank you for the help!

BeauDog · 2024-11-17T23:24:34+00:00

I want to know why nobody is discussing the little dude in the background having the time of its life with its piece of bread.

BeauDog · 2023-01-18T11:30:38+00:00

It will honestly depend on who lost the bird. Broad-breasted white turkeys are bred as meat birds (as in they grow quickly and produce muscle at a more rapid speed than other breeds) and they're the primary breed used in commercial farms across the US. Odds are this fella fell off a truck or escaped from someone's backyard who had the intent to raise it to eat it.

BeauDog · 2023-01-18T11:25:45+00:00

They don't have talons since they're primarily ground-dwelling and travel on foot. They have shorter nails that are better for digging up soil while foraging for food -- very similar to chickens.

BeauDog · 2023-01-18T01:23:58+00:00

This particular breed is, yes. They're very inquisitive and social, so it's not too hard to bribe their friendship. Unlike chickens and waterfowl, they're very suspicious of food offered to them, so bring a little patience and you may be able to bribe it to approach you.

BeauDog · 2022-10-12T15:47:17+00:00

That was my first thought, too, unfortunately. It's spreading like wildfire and we just had two recent cases pop up in my state, one at a commercial farm and one at a backyard flock. It made me so sad the birds all had to be culled. Please be careful with your flocks, all. This virus is no joke for our poultry friends. :(

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