Smew (A) (Mergellus albellus) | Start Date 0000-00-00 |
| Ref | First | Last | Location | County | 2 | 3 | Comment | Status |
| 57:34 | 1984-10-06 | | | Mahnomen | | | (vote 4-3, with 7-0 required for Acceptance). The description did fit a female Smew quite well in all respects, but, because of the extreme rarity of this species, the minority were uneasy about the possiblity of it being an escape, of it being a hybird or aberrant individual of some other species, and because the early fall date is inconsistent with other extralimital Smew records. | Not Accepted |
1 | 72:40 | 1999-03-17 | | Anderson County Park | Jackson | | | (record #99-55, vote 10-0). All ten members vote on potential first state records. At the 5 December 1999 meeting, the question of origin was discussed and voted on, and by majority vote (8-2) the individual was accepted as being of probable wild origin. At the same meeting, the photograph of the individual was also discussed and voted on, and by majority vote (7-3) the photo was accepted as identifiable on its own. As a result of these votes, this species was accepted to the state list as an unqualified Accidental — i.e., with no qualifying “o†or “s†subscripts. The Loon 71:194 | Accepted |
| 73:168 | 1999-03-17 | | Anderson County Park | Jackson | | | (record #99-55, AO origin vote 10-0, The Loon 73:72-77). Note that all ten members vote on questions of origin. A previous vote on the origin of this bird had been taken, with a majority voting this to be most likely a wild bird, listed as “Accidental” with no qualifying subscript (The Loon 73:72). However, after this vote, additional research into the status of this species in captivity revealed it to be kept in game farms more often than previously thought. Accordingly, another origin vote was taken, and it was accepted as “Accidental (o)” — e.g., the possibilities of captive vs. wild origin are about equal. | Recirculated |
| avian information | 1999-03-17 | | | Jackson | | | 3/17 Jackson (first state record) (first county record) First state record 3/17 Jackson (Anderson Marsh) KB.
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| 75:41 | 2002-11-06 | | Island Lake | St. Louis | | | (record #2002-81, vote 7-0 on identification, vote 0-10 on wild origin). The identification of this adult female shot by a duck hunter, confirmed by the photos taken of the bird, was straightforward and unanimously accepted. However, the record was not accepted on the basis of origin, with the unanimous vote determining that the duck had most likely escaped or been released from captivity. (Note that all ten MOURC members, the seven regular members plus the three alternates, vote on questions of origin.) Prior captivity is indicated by one of the duck's hind toes having been cut off (a practice of many waterfowl collectors) and Eurasian Collared-Dove, 23 June 2002, Herman, Grant County. Photo by Peder Svingen. by the seriously frayed condition of the outer primaries and many of the rectrices. | Not Accepted |
| 76:152 | 2004-03-11 | 2004-03-17 | Oronoco and Rochester | Olmsted | | | (record #2004-072, identification Accepted 7-0, origin Not Accepted 0-10). All ten members vote on questions of origin. Close-up photographs of this adult male confirmed its identification, but showed frayed or damaged flight feathers. Though not necessarily indicative of captive origin, the bird allowed close approach and seemed tame. Captive origin was implied by the following observation: “With my scope I could see that the right hallux (or rear toe) was missing. Looking closely, it clearly appeared to have been clipped, not having been torn or otherwise missing due to injury — judging from the clean and nicely healed scar. The left hallux was intact and complete. A clipped right rear-facing toe is usually indicative of an escaped bird since, as a general rule, captive bred waterfowl are marked in this manner (but also by other methods).” This represents the second known occurrence of an escaped or released Smew in Minnesota; the first was an adult female with a clipped hallux and frayed flight feathers (The Loon 75:44-45). This species is included on the state list with an “o” subscript, i.e., the possibilities of captive vs. wild origin are about equal, based on one Accepted record at Anderson County Park, Jackson County, 17 March 1999 (The Loon 75:44-77). | Not Accepted |
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  | One spring record (1999). |