Proceedings of the Minnesota

Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee

Peder H. Svingen, Chairman

The most recent meeting of the

Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union

Records Committee (MOURC) was

conducted at the James Ford Bell Museum

of Natural History in Minneapolis on 4

December 2005. In attendance and voting

were MOURC members Paul Budde, Phil

Chu, Ann Kessen, Jim Lind (alternate), Bill

Marengo (alternate), Jim Mattsson, Drew

Smith, Steve Stucker (alternate), and Peder

Svingen (Chairman).

In accordance with its policy on term

limits, the Committee reviewed nomina-

tions for membership and elected Steve

Stucker as a regular member, replacing

Tom Tustison. Karl Bardon was elected as

an alternate member.

Among the items on the agenda was

additional discussion of the Cackling

Goose (Branta hutchinsii) in Minnesota.

Steve Stucker and Phil Chu compiled data

obtained from the Bird Banding Lab on

65 band recoveries in Minnesota of “small

Canada Geese” that had been banded as

chicks on their breeding grounds; 45 of

these were from known hutchinsii popu-

lations, mostly on Baffin Island. These 45

band recoveries were voted on as one

record. Excluded were 18 recoveries of

chicks banded on the west coast of Hud-

son Bay, where there has been uncertain-

ty regarding subspecies, and 2 recoveries

from Southampton Island with incorrect

recovery dates.

Further discussion of Carolina Parakeet

(Conuropsis carolinensis) (record #2005-

045, also see Breckenridge 1995, Hertzel

2004) focused on the possibility of un-

published evidence from archaeological

sites. Anthony Hertzel volunteered to re-

search this possibility and the record was

tabled by a 7–2 vote.

Also discussed were five recirculated

records, i.e., those with inconclusive first-

round votes; a potential first state record

of the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occiden-

talis); and an apparently mislabeled speci-

men of Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow

(Ammodramus caudacutus) at the Ameri-

can Museum of Natural History in New

York. The results of these discussions

and votes on these records are included

below. All of the other records were re-

viewed and voted on by mail.

The following records were voted on

August – December 2005 and were Ac-

cepted (also see Not Accepted record

#2005-064, which involved qualified Ac-

cepted votes).

• Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Den-

drocygna autumnalis), 17 October 2005,

Rendsville Township, Stevens County

(record #2005-073, vote 7–0). This adult

was shot from a flock of Mallards com-

ing in to a corn field; photographs of the

specimen were submitted.

• Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii),

45 band recoveries at various fall dates

and locations in Minnesota (record #2005-

080, vote 7–0). This provided additional

evidence of this species’ occurrence in 11

north and 16 south counties; each of Min-

nesota’s nine regions had at least one re-

covery. The earliest were 29 September

2003, Morrison County, and 30 September

2001, Stearns County. The latest were 6

November 1996, Chippewa County, 6 No-

vember 2003, Waseca County, and 13 No-

vember 1998, Nobles County.

• Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope),

28–31 March 2005, Verchota Landing,

Winona County (record #2005-050, vote

7–0). A written description of this adult

male was supplemented by photographs.

• Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala is-

landica), 1 January 2005, Afton Christmas

40 The Loon Volume 78