Bullock's Oriole in Crow Wing County
2020-05-04

'Accidental' in Minnesota - Five or fewer records in Crow Wing County for the Spring season

This adult male Bullock's Oriole was photographed by Butch Ukura this morning at a suet feeder in Riverton, Crow Wing County. As far as I know, it has not been refound this afternoon (as of 6:00 PM on Monday, May 4th), but it may be visiting other feeders in town. If documented and accepted by the MOU Records Committee, this would be the 5th record for the state — remarkably soon after the state's 3rd and 4th records last May. As an aside, one of the most astonishing oriole records was in September 1962, when SEVEN orioles found dead near Westport were all determined to be hybrid Bullock's X Baltimore orioles (The Loon 38:73-74). What are the odds of 7 hybrid orioles all migrating along the same path?

Photo by Butch Ukura.