Proceedings of the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee

Barn Owl specimen, 16 April 2020, near Corcoran, Hennepin County (record #2020-009). Photo by

Anthony X. Hertzel.

2020 at Richfield Lake, Hennepin County

(record #2020-029, vote 7–0). Adult, photo-

graphed. Seventh state record. This is pos-

sibly the same individual that was seen at this

location the previous year (The Loon 92:3).

Remarkably, the state’s purported (still under

MOURC review) eighth Neotropic Cormorant

joined this bird on 19 July 2020 and both were

present until 21 August 2020. The latest date

that two birds were seen simultaneously was 21

August 2020. One of these two birds lingered

until 20 October 2020 although the identity of

which one was not undetermined.

• Neotropic Cormorant, 4 June 2020, Sher-

burne National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife Drive,

Nelson Pool, Sherburne County (record #2020-

030, vote 6–1). Photographed. First county

record.

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) [Casual],

25–26 April 2020, Sioux Valley Township, Jack-

son County (record #2020-011, vote 7–0). Adult,

photographed.

• Glossy Ibis, 14 May 2020, 320th Street

Marsh, near Madelia, Watonwan County (record

#2020-022, vote 7–0). Adult, photographed. First

county record. Since its initial discovery in the

state in 1991 (The Loon 64:5–10), the spe-

cies has been recorded on 13 more occasions

through the end of 2020.

• Barn Owl (Tyto alba) [Casual], 11–12 Janu-

ary 2020 (but see The Loon 92:86–87), Sax-Zim

Bog, county road 7, near Byrnes Greenhouse,

St. Louis County (record #2020-008, vote 7–0).

Second-year male, photographed. This owl

was hunting during the day on both days; it

exhibited increasingly poor physical condition

by the afternoon of the 12th. It was retrieved by

several birders who took it to the University of

Minnesota Raptor Center, but it died en route.

A necropsy indicated that this second year male

apparently died of hypoglycemia, probably due

to a lack of food. It had no internal fat stores

and there was obvious atrophy of the bone

marrow fat in its tibiotarsus. All other tests

came back within normal limits revealing no

toxins and no signs of external trauma.

• Barn Owl, 16 April 2020, in a field near

Corcoran, Hennepin County (record #2020-009,

vote 7–0). Adult specimen was superbly photo-

graphed and preserved. Bird was found dead in

a field near the town of Corcoran in northwest-

ern Hennepin County. The owl appeared to be

Fall 2020

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