Proceedings of the Minnesota

Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee

Kim R. Eckert, MOURC Chairman

The following records were voted on

January-July 2003 and found to be

Acceptable (also see Not Acceptable

record 2003-16, which partially involved

an Acceptable vote).

• Red-throated Loon, 7 June 2003,

Moulton Township, Pipestone County (re-

cord #2003-32, vote 6–1).

This rare-Regular species was seen only

in flight in quite an atypical part of the

state, but it was carefully observed and

documented by an experienced observer.

• White-faced Ibis, 5 May 2002, Kandi-

yohi County (record #2003-01, vote 6–1).

• White-faced Ibis, 11 September

2002, Mud Lake, Traverse County (record

#2003-03, vote 6–1).

• White-faced Ibis (five individuals), 1

June 2003, Luverne, Rock County (record

#2003-31, vote 6–1).

These three records of this now near-

Regular species all include descriptions of

red eye color, reddish facial skin, and/or

white feathering around the bill and eyes.

Note that hybrid Glossy x White-faced Ibis

have been recently documented in Okla-

homa (North American Birds 57:136–139),

which may complicate the identification

and documentation of ibis seen in Min-

nesota (see the Not Acceptable record be-

low). However, it is not presently known

how likely or unlikely it is for presumed

hybrids to occur anywhere, nor is it yet

known what range of variation such ibis

can exhibit with regard to eye color, facial

skin color, and white facial feathering.

• Plegadis ibis, sp. (two individuals), 7

September 2002, Island Lake, Lyon Coun-

ty (record #2003-17, vote 6–1).

• Plegadis ibis, sp. (11 individuals), 17

April 2003, Winkler Wildlife Management

Area, Jackson County (record #2003-18,

vote 5–2).

• Plegadis ibis, sp. (two individuals), 3

May 2003, Bloomington, Hennepin Coun-

ty (record #2003-20, vote 7–0).

These three records involved birds

which were either seen in fall, when most

Plegadis ibis are difficult or impossible to

identify in the field, or birds which were

seen only in flight at a distance.

• Black-necked Stilt (two individu-

als), 25 May 2003, near Montrose, Wright

County (record #2003-28, vote 6–1).

The observer apparently was inexpe-

rienced with this species and his descrip-

tion is brief, but the documentation ad-

equately describes a species which is very

distinctive and difficult to confuse with

any other.

• Ruff, 17 May 2003, Bunker Hills Re-

gional Park, Anoka County (record #2003-

26, vote 7–0.

The bird was seen by two experienced

observers and the documentation in-

cludes identifiable photographs.

• Eurasian Collared-Dove, 11 April

2003, near Claremont, Dodge County (re-

cord #2003-12, vote 6–1).

Vocalizations of this dove were heard

and described, and the bird was photo-

graphed well enough to see the diagnos-

tic under tail pattern. Note that several

presumably correct identifications of this

now essentially Regular species could un-

fortunately not be accepted (see the Not

Acceptable record below) because the

possibility of an escaped/released or hy-

brid Ringed Turtle-Dove was not elimi-

nated. If possible, when observing a col-

lared-dove, it is best to concentrate on

seeing and describing the exact pattern of

the underside of the outer rectrices, and

to listen to and describe any calls given.

• Band-tailed Pigeon, 20 November

2002 – 4 April 2003, near Hastings, Da-

160 The Loon Volume 75