Lake McConaughy
Grebe Survey Summary
- Max Adults: 1563
- Year: 2001
- Most Recent Adults: presence
- Year: 2022
- Survey Type: N/A
- Most Common Threats Reported: N/A
- Lake name:
- Lake McConaughy
- Location:
- Nebraska
- HydroLAKE ID:
- 781
- GRanD ID:
- 913
- Latitude:
- 41.214586
- Longitude:
- -101.673380
- Surface area (km2):
- 109.3
- Basin type:
- reservoir
- Management agency:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission; Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District
- Lake use:
- hydroelectricity irrigation water storage
- Region associations:
- North Platte River; Sandhills; Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area; Keystone Pond; Lake Ogallala
- Designations:
- State Recreation Area
- Comments:
- "Big Mac" is part of Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area. Lake McConaughy is the largest lake in Nebraska.
Surveys (9)
Survey Citation:
Ducey, J.E. 2022. Valentine, Nebraska. Archive of the Great American Sandhills. April 14, 2022
-
Time period
2022 -
Source
Database -
Both Western and Clarks?
Y
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 2022 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 2022 |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | presence? | 2022 |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | presence? | 2022 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Nebraska Sandhills Lakes with Western Grebe breeding records from database owned by James E. Ducey, forwarded by Ross Silcock. Credit as James E. Ducey, Valentine, Nebraska. Archive of the Great American Sandhills. April 14, 2022 is the publication date. No other details provided. Breeding record does not specify evidence (nests and/or chicks so entered as probable nests) and then Ross Silcock updated the list with years, some from eBird, and states that presence at Sandhills lakes in June to July is probable as breeding. There may have been previous years of observations to comprise Ducey's list but there is no information on that.
Survey Citation:
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2022. Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
-
Time period
N/A -
Source
Website, Species Profile -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Not a survey but a species profile describing breeding locations. Western Sandhills (no specific lakes named), Lake McConaughy, and Keystone Lake considered the highest breeding densities of Western grebes (Wampole and Fichter 1946, Rosche 1982). No years or other details given. This record might be redundant because sometimes Keystone Lake is considered part of Lake McConaughy.
Survey Citation:
Brown, C. R., M.B. Brown, P.A. Johnsgard, J. Kren, and W.C. Scharf. 1996. Birds of the Cedar Point Biological Station Area, Keith and Garden Counties, Nebraska: Seasonal Occurrence and Breeding Data. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. 79. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/79
-
Time period
late July 1993, 1 July 1996 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 501 to 1000 | >700 | 1996 |
| Most Recent Adults | 501 to 1000 | >700 | 1996 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | presence | 1993 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 1 to 100 | presence | 1993 |
Comments:
Lake McConaughy is the largest lake in Nebraska with Lakes Ogallala and Keystone below the Kingsley Dam. Observations of brrods in Keystone Lake in 1993 by (Rosche). 20 to 25 adults breeding in Lake McConaughy is just an estimate and total may be larger. Otherwise, large numbers of adults observed over the summer. Clark's grebe considered an occasional breeder with a brood observed in 1994, no other details. One found dead in 1986 at Keystone Lake. Host to several thousand in spring and fall migration.
Survey Citation:
Silcock. 2001. Summer field report: June-July 2001. 69(3). Published by Nebraska Bird Review.
-
Time period
3 June 2001, 28 July 2001 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | >1000 | 1544 | 2001 |
| Most Recent Adults | >1000 | 1544 | 2001 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Estimated 10 to 15 breeding pairs.
Survey Citation:
Silcock. 2001. Summer field report: June-July 2001. 69(3). Published by Nebraska Bird Review.
-
Time period
29 June 2001 -
Source
Notes -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | 19 | 2001 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 19 | 2001 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Numbers between Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala split into their own entries. No breeding noted though numbers have been observed as higher.
Survey Citation:
Johnsgard, Paul A., "The Birds of Nebraska, Revised Edition 2013" (2013). Zea E-Books. 17. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zeabook/17
-
Time period
N/A -
Source
Species profile -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Max Nests | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Most Recent Nests | 1 to 100 | presence | ? |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Not a survey, just a statement that Western grebes breed on this lake.
Survey Citation:
Johnsgard, Paul A., "The Birds of Nebraska, Revised Edition 2013" (2013). Zea E-Books. 17. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zeabook/17
-
Time period
July 1993 -
Source
Species profile -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Adults | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | 1 to 100 | presence | 1993 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 1 to 100 | presence | 1993 |
Comments:
Not a survey, just a statement that Clark's grebes with young were observed at the west end of this lake in late July 1993 (Rosche 1994).
Survey Citation:
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2022. Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii). In Birds of
Nebraska — Online.www.BirdsofNebraska.org
-
Time period
1993, August 1994 -
Source
Website, Species Profile -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | several | 1994 |
| Most Recent Adults | 101 to 500 | several | 1994 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | 101 to 500 | several | 1994 |
| Most Recent Chicks | 101 to 500 | several | 1994 |
Comments:
Not a survey but a species profile describing breeding locations. First noted breeding of Clark's grebe at this lake was in 1993 (Rosche 1994). No other details provided.
Survey Citation:
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2022. Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii). In Birds of
Nebraska — Online.www.BirdsofNebraska.org
-
Time period
29 June 2001 -
Source
Website, Species Profile -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | 36 | 2001 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 36 | 2001 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Not a survey but a species profile describing breeding locations. Adult count might include breeders.
Sources of Information
- Messager, M. L., B. Lehner, G. Grill, I. Nedeva, and O. Schmitt. 2016. Estimating the volume and age of water stored in global lakes using a geo-statistical approach. Nature Communications 7:13603. Data is available at www.hydrosheds.org.; Lehner, B., C. Reidy Liermann, C. Revenga, C. Vorosmarty, B. Fekete, P. Crouzet, P. Doll, M. Endejan, K. Frenken, J. Magome, C. Nilsson, J.C. Robertson, R. Rodel, N. Sindorf, and D. Wisser. 2011. Global Reservoir and Dam Database, Version 1 (GRanDv1): Dams, Revision 01. Palisades, New York: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).
- Lehner, B., C. Reidy Liermann, C. Revenga, C. Vorosmarty, B. Fekete, P. Crouzet, P. Doll, M. Endejan, K. Frenken, J. Magome, C. Nilsson, J.C. Robertson, R. Rodel, N. Sindorf, and D. Wisser. 2011. Global Reservoir and Dam Database, Version 1 (GRanDv1): Dams, Revision 01. Palisades, New York: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).
- Birds of Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala
- Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area
- Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)