MOURC Proceedings Archive - Jaegers 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.
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Proceedings
Species: Jaegers
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
[Stercorarius jaeger]

Long-tailed Jaeger (A) (Stercorarius longicaudus)Start Date 0000-00-00
RefFirstLastLocationCounty23CommentStatus
1MOU1898-07-01MarshallAccepted
MOU1898-07-01MarshallAccepted
avian
information
1898-07-01Marshall7/1 Marshall (first state record) (first county record)
avian
information
1934-11-161934-11-17Cook11/16-17 Cook (second state record) (first county record)
2MOU1942-10-04Heron LakeJacksonThe Flicker 31:32Accepted
avian
information
1942-10-04Jackson10/4 Jackson (third state record) (first county record)
31:30-321959indexThe Jaegers of Minnesota
33:125-1261961indexDuluth, September 16, 1961
3MOU1961-09-16Minnesota PointSt. LouisThe Flicker 33:126Accepted
4MOU1962-04-121962-04-21WadenaAccepted
avian
information
1962-04-121962-04-21Wadena4/12, 21 Wadena (fourth state record) (first county record)
Richard Oehlenschlager saw one, an adult, flying down the Crow Wing River, 4 miles east of Nimrod, Wadena Co., on April 21. He observed very little white in the primaries, no twist in the central retrices (which were about six inches long) and a marked contrast between the back and the black crown patch.
5MOU1962-04-21Crow Wing River, 4 miles east of NimrodWadenaThe Flicker 34:54Accepted
6MOU1972-08-20Rush LakeOtter TailThe Loon 45:13Accepted
54:421975-09-08DuluthSt. Louis(vote 5-2, with 6-1 required for acceptance) Although most were convinced by the description of this light-phase adult, the minority was of the opinion that a Long-tailed Jaeger should look grayish above, and not brownish as described. (M.O.R.C. had previously voted on this record in 1975, but the result had been inconclusive.) Not Accepted
7MOU1980-10-141980-10-16Park PointSt. LouisThe Loon 52:144Accepted
53:58-591981indexLong-tailed Jaeger at Duluth
854:421981-08-24DuluthSt. Louis(vote 7-0, Loon in press) Accepted
54:46-481982indexRecord Number of Jaeger Sightings
54:64-651982indexTwo Long-tailed Jaegers at Duluth
60:131987-08-26Itasca S. P. Clearwater(vote 3-4). There was no doubt from the details that an adult jaeger was seen, and that the relatively long tail and the implied lack of breast band were suggestive of Long-tailed Jaeger. However, the tail length described did not completely rule out Parasitic Jaeger (tail length of these two species can overlap), and some Parasitics do not show a breast band. It was also felt that such an unusal record should have been more completely described i.e., there was no Spring 1988 mention of how much white was visible in the primaries or if there was any contrast in color between the flight feathers and the wing coverts (there are diagnostic differences in both these features in Long-taileds). Not Accepted
974:362001-09-052001-09-07BayportWashington(record #2001-52, vote 7–0). Also an adult with a fully grown tail, and seen by many observers. Accepted
avian
information
2001-09-052001-09-07Washington9/5-7 Washington (fifth state record) (first county record)
One observed 9/5–7 Washington (Bayport) †TRa, NG, mobs. Eighth state record but the first since 1981!
78:402005-09-09Park Point; DuluthSt. Louis(record #2005058, vote 3–4). This jaeger was observed in flight for one to two minutes from an estimated distance of 200 yards; its central rectrices either did not project past the tail tip or could not be seen at this distance. Much of the description suggested Longtailed Jaeger, e.g., the apparent absence of an underwing flash and “its mantle a light [sic] shade of brown than the dark chocolate brown primaries and secondaries”. It chased after or was next to a Ringbilled Gull (Larus delawarensis) the entire time and was described as smaller than the gull — a comparison that equally fits Parasitic Jaeger (S. parasiticus). Of most concern was the statement “undertail coverts were white, contrasting heavily with dark brown tail, no noticable [sic] barring, moving into a more dusky gray on belly”. According to Olsen and Larsson (1997), uniformly pale undertail coverts are never seen on Long-taileds; the only jaeger that can show a near-unmarked pale crissum is a pale juvenile Parasitic. Not Accepted
78:402005-09-18Superior EntrySt. Louis(recirculated record #2005-060, first vote 5–2, second vote 3–4). Based on plumage details, this pale-headed juvenile was considered a different individual than one reported the following day (see record #2005-061 below). Though possibly correctly identified, parts of the description also fit first-year Parasitic Jaeger and the statement “wing length was much longer vs [sic] a Ring-billed Gull” essentially eliminated Long-tailed Jaeger. Not Accepted
78:402005-09-19Superior EntrySt. Louis(recirculated record #2005-061, first vote 4–3, second vote 0–7). The primary observer participated in the discussion of this record at the December meeting and recommended that it not be accepted. Not Accepted
1080:52007-08-212007-09-02near southwest boundary of Agassiz National Wildlife RefugeMarshall(record #2007-055, vote 7–0). This confiding adult established a predictable pattern of foraging for grasshoppers and other insects on a gravel road. Videotaped and photographed by many observers. Ninth state record and the first for Agassiz N.W.R. Accepted
avian
information
2007-08-212007-09-02Marshall8/21-9/2 Marshall (sixth state record) (second county record)
One adult bird found 8/21 Marshall (just southwest of Agassiz N.W.R.) v.t. †SSw stayed through 9/2 ph. †KRE, ph. †JMJ, ph. †PHS, ph. ALB, ph. DWR. Ninth state record.
83:992010-10-15Superior Entry, DuluthSt. Louis(record #2010-041, vote 1–6). This recirculated Record 2010041 Long-tailed Jaeger, St. Louis County, was split into two separate sightings: (15 October 2010, vote 4–3, and 17 October 2010, vote 5–2) and was discussed at the 28 August 2011 Committee meeting. After lengthy debate, the record was voted on again. The consensus was that there was too much supposition without enough actual detail to support a positive vote for either bird. Neither bird was Accepted. Not Accepted
1185:992013-06-14Roseau Lake Wildlife Management AreaRoseau(record #2013-031, vote 7–0). Adult, photographed. First county record. First summer record since the first state record in 1898 in Marshall County when a specimen was taken at Warren (Roberts, Thomas S. 1919. A Review of the Ornithology of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Publications Number 11. 101 pp.). Accepted
avian
information
2013-06-14Roseau6/14 Roseau (seventh state record) (first county record)
Tenth state record 6/14 Roseau (Roseau Lake W.M.A.) ph. †ANy (The Loon 86:53–54).
1286:32013-09-192013-09-22Minnesota side of Superior Entry, DuluthSt. Louis(record #2013-053, vote 7–0). Third-cycle Long-tailed Jaeger, photographed. Twelfth state record. Observed by at least two experienced observers and documented by many high-quality photographs including one with a direct comparison to a Parasitic Jaeger. Accepted
1393:472020-09-082020-09-13Black Rush Lake W.P.A.Lyon(record #2020055, vote 7–0). Adult, photographed. First county and twelfth state record. Accepted
avian
information
2020-09-082020-09-13Lyon9/8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 Lyon (eighth state record) (first county record)
The twelfth state record was a well-documented adult found 9/8–13 Lyon (Black Rush Lake W.P.A.) ph. †RJS, ph. †KEm, ph. †GWe, ph. †NMe, ph. †BAb, ph. †FFa, ph. †EzH, ph. †WCM, ph. †DOr, ph. †LBa, †JGW, ph. †APi, ph. †CRM, ph. †JuW, ph. IsH, ph. RZi, m.ob (The Loon 93:98–100)
1493:1152023-08-26 southwest Lake Winnibigoshish near Elvin R. Heller Memorial HarborCass (record #2023-098, vote 7–0). Apparent adult or near adult, photographed. First county record.

Accepted
 
 Eleven records: one spring, two summer, and eight fall. Recorded in one (2013) of the last ten years. There are additional records of unidentified Stercorarius sp.

Notes:

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