Proceedings of the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula), 14 January 2018,

Red Wing, Goodhue County. Photo by Becca

Engdahl.

Selasphorus hummingbird 23 September 2017,

Crane Lake, St. Louis County. Photo by Dee

Kuder.

[Accidental], 8–9 May 2018, Lone Tree Lake,

Lyon County (record #2018-013, vote 7–0).

Adult, photographed. First county record and

fourth state record.

• Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) [Ca-

sual], 14 May 2017, Murray/Lyon County Line

Road, Murray County (record #2017-008, vote

7–0). Photographed. After two lengthy de-

bates, photographic analysis, and consultation

with outside experts the record was accepted.

Third spring record since 2010.

• Western Sandpiper, 1 May 2018, Lake

Byllesby, northwest corner of the reservoir,

Dakota County (record #2018-011, vote 6–1).

• Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata mag-

nificens) [Accidental], 1 October 1988, Aca-

cia Park Cemetery, Dakota County (as record

#1988-001, vote 6–1). Adult, male. This is the

first of a series of Fregata sp. records to be

reviewed. Originally, this record was unani-

mously accepted as a Fregata sp., then with

a majority vote as a Magnificent Frigatebird

(The Loon 61:11, 62:12). Subsequently, the

record was reconsidered and reclassified as

Fregata sp. (it was then cited as record #2006-

099; vote: Not Accepted as Magnificent Frig-

atebird 3–7, Accepted as Fregata sp. 10–0).

(The Loon 79:55). The arguments for this re-

classification were based upon the occurrence

of a single sighting of a seriously injured para-

sitized Great Frigatebird (F. minor) in Okla-

homa on 11 November 1975 (Bulletin of the

Oklahoma Ornithological Society June 1977)

and upon two inland sightings of Lesser Frig-

atebirds (F. ariel) in Wyoming (11 July 2003)

and Michigan (11 September 2005). After dis-

cussion at two MOURC meetings on 3 Decem-

ber 2017 and 19 August 2018, the Committee

decided to again reconsider the record due

to new information in the literature not previ-

ously available when the record was re-exam-

ined in 2006. Finally, after its second recon-

sideration, the record was Accepted. Reasons

for acceptance were focused on the original,

contemporaneous field notes; the study of the

path of Hurricane Gilbert and its unprecedent-

ed plethora of fallout of frigatebirds (none

was identified as Great Frigatebirds) records

in the Midwest; and the new illustrations of

frigatebirds in the literature. All ages and sexes

of Lesser Frigatebird should have shown white

in the plumage which the field notes of this

record specifically state was absent.

• Barn Owl (Tyto alba) [Accidental], 11–

16 April 2018, undisclosed private property,

Faribault County (record #2018-003, vote 7–0).

• Barn Owl, 18 March – 1 August 2018,

five miles northwest of Houston in Perkins

Valley, Houston County (record #2018-022,

vote 7–0). Audio recorded on 18 March, 21

May, and 1 August, 2018. All 2018 recordings

are presumed to be the same bird(s). Wild

Barn Owls have been previously audio-re-

corded at this location several times before in

84 The Loon Volume 90