Duplicates
The Loon, journal of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
The last 2 years are available to MOU members.
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MOURC Proceedings Archive - Towhees, Sparrows |
Accepted Duplicates | |
| This is the 1981 to present Records Committee Proceedings archive for The Loon, journal of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. The last 2 years are available to MOU members. |
| Families |
| Species: Towhees, Sparrows |
| Abert's Towhee (A) (Melozone aberti) | Start Date 1936-01-01 | ||||||||
| Ref | First | Last | Location | County | 2 | 3 | Comment | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 94:115 | 2022-06-17 | 2022-11-19 | Murphy Hill Park (a.k.a. Newton's Sliding Hill), Grand Rapids | Itasca | , (record #2022-063, vote 10–0). Two adults, photographed, video-recorded, and audio-recorded. First state and county record. The birds were apparently present a few days prior to the first above-listed date, but the exact date is uncertain. The birds were last reported by the homeowner. The identification of the birds is not in question. The Committee voted to accept the identification of this record (10–0). It also voted (10–0) that the physical evidence, standing alone, was sufficient to confirm the identification of both birds. Provenance, however, was clearly another matter. In fact, this totally unexpected occurrence represented one of the most unique and challenging records ever evaluated by this Committee. Immediately after this species was reported in Minnesota, there were rampant rumors and speculation online about how the birds might have arrived in the state with most saying they were somehow assisted. In fact, the speculation showed a distinct bias towards the theme that this could not possibly have happened naturally. However, none of these claims or theories was ever substantiated by any evidence. Even with the passage of time of over nine months to the date of this publication, no supporting evidence has ever been offered explaining how arrival actually occurred. The literature appears scant regarding captivity with most references to captivity confined mainly to experimentation with the species. Furthermore, a check of the Minnesota Zoo revealed that this species has never been kept at the zoo. A search of a database of other zoos in the area by the avian manager at the Minnesota Zoo yielded no Abert's Towhees at other zoos. The fact that there were two birds of the same species does not really seem to cut either way in favor of either wildness or assisted transport into the state. There are other instances of Accidental species in Minnesota occurring in pairs, such as two immature male Vermilion Flycatchers that were seen simultaneously in a remote woodland area of northern Minnesota (refer to The Loon 88:3), and the first state record of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Minnesota was two individuals seen together (see The Loon 88:3). Secondly, because Abert's Towhees mate for life, it is not completely shocking that two might have been found together. These birds were an apparent mated pair photographed carrying nesting material, singing or calling to each other on many occasions, and copulating. No actual nest was ever found so nesting has not been documented in the state. After significant debate, discussion, and deliberation among the members, the Committee by majority vote (vote, 8–2), accepted these birds as Abert's Towhees with the designation of an “o” subscript added to the record. By definition, an “o” subscript means that there is reasonable uncertainty regarding its origin or wildness, or its natural occurrence or arrival in the state. It has been added to the state list as there is no evidence to support the theory that they arrived in the state under circumstances other than as natural vagrants. There are currently precedents of four other species designated with an “o” subscript in Minnesota. The only way to tell if the addition to the Minnesota list has been warranted will be the passage of a significant amount of time to see if any vagrancy of this known-to-be-sedentary species has changed. If not, the Committee may, under its existing bylaws, vote to reconsider the record and subsequently vote whether to remove the species from its state list. Conversely, if vagrancy does occur after significant passage of time, the Committee may also reconsider the record and vote whether or not to remove the “o” subscript entirely. | Accepted | ||
| avian information | 2022-06-17 | 2022-07-30 | Itasca | 6/17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 7/1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 Itasca (first state record) (first county record) First state record 6/17 – 7/30+ Itasca (2, Grand Rapids) D. Troumbley; ph. SC, ph. †PHS, ph. †LiH, a.t., ph. †JGW, †PCC, ph. †LBa, ph. JJS, m.ob. (The Loon 94:174–178). | |||||
| avian information | 2022-08-06 | 2022-09-24 | Itasca | 8/6, 20, 9/4, 8, 23, 24 Itasca (second state record) (second county record) A pair of birds discovered in June and which were the first for the state remained until 11/19 Itasca (Grand Rapids) JWL (The Loon 94:174–178). | |||||
| One sighting. This sighting has yet to be been considered by MOURC. | |||||||||
| The information in the above table comes from several different sources. The count in column 1 indicates which of the sources is considered the primary source. | ||
| 'Accepted' MOURC entries from The MOURC Proceedings | ||
| 'Not Accepted' or 'Rejected' MOURC entry from The MOURC Proceedings | ||
| Accepted MOU records assembled by David Cahlander | ||
| Sighting records for () | ||
| Avian information from the occurrence maps, in dark red, assembled by Robert Janssen. Seasonal report for the species/season published in The Loon or The Flicker has been added. | ||
| Information from The Loon index assembled by Anthony Hertzel and David Cahlander | ||