Proceedings of the Minnesota Ornithologists’

Union Records Committee

Thomas A. Tustison, Chairman

The most recent meeting of the Min-

nesota Ornithologists’ Union Records

Committee (“MOURC”) was conducted

electronically via Zoom 5 December 2021. In

attendance and voting at this meeting were

MOURC members Dedrick A. Benz, Rebecca

R. Engdahl (alternate), Anthony X. Hertzel,

Ann E. Kessen, Douglas W. Kieser, William C.

Marengo, Steven P. Stucker, Andrew D. Smith,

Howard Towle (alternate), and Thomas A.

Tustison (chair).

At its most recent meeting on 5 December

2021, the Committee embarked on a re-eval-

uation of the status of the Whooping Crane

in Minnesota. The last time the Committee

reviewed the matter was at its 19 August 2018

meeting. At that time, Committee discussion

centered on whether or not it should consider

birds from the Wisconsin captive breeding

population (Eastern Migratory Population) to

be fully established. MOURC then concluded

that the Eastern Migratory Population was not

sustainable and consequently not countable in

Minnesota.

According to the International Crane Foun-

dation as of September 2021, roughly 24% of

the Eastern Migratory Population is now raised

in the wild; the issue remains whether this

population is self-sustaining. Based on recent

comments from the International Crane Foun-

dation, the answer is apparently not. Here is a

recent quote from Anne Lacy, Senior Manager

at the International Crane Foundation:

“The flock is not considered self-sustaining

yet. I would say that “self-sustaining” would be

the ability for natural reproduction to outpace

natural death in this population. We had an-

other four chicks fledge in the wild this year,

as last year. That is not quite enough to make

up for birds that die or are termed “long term

missing” by the reintroduction partnership.

That simply means that we have not had a

record of them in two years — no sightings or

remote telemetry data.”

After discussion, the Committee determined

that:

The Wisconsin birds are still in an experimental

introduction phase.

The Committee should be cautious about con-

sidering these wild birds.

The Committee is maintaining the status quo.

Unless more evidence accumulates, the

Committee still considers these Wisconsin

birds to not yet represent wild individuals

of a self-sustaining population.

The following records were voted on and

were Accepted:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendro-

cygna autumnalis) [Accidental], 3 July 2021,

near Sherburne, Sherburne County (record

#2021-090, vote 7–0). Five adults, photo-

graphed. First county record.

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, 25 Sep-

tember 2021, near town of Nicollet, Nicollet

County (record #2021-071, vote 7–0). Adult,

shot by hunter and photographed. First county

record.

Brant (Branta bernicla) [Casual], 7 Novem-

ber 2020, near Hutchinson, McLeod County

(record #2020-091, vote 7–0). Juvenile shot by a

hunter and photographed. First county record.

Brant, 11 November 2021, northwest seg-

ment of Lake Winnibigoshish, Itasca County

(record #2021-083, vote 7–0). Two adults, both

of the pale-bellied subspecies (B. b. hrota),

were shot by a hunter and photographed. First

county record.

King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) [Casual],

8 December 2021 – 3 January 2022, Lake Pepin,

near Lake City, Goodhue and Wabasha counties

(record #2021-088, vote 7–0). Apparent first-

winter female, photographed. First county re-

cord for both Goodhue and Wabasha counties.

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

[Casual], 27–28 July 2021, private residence,

Fall 2021

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