[Black Phoebe] (P) (Sayornis nigricans) | Start Date 1936-01-01 |
| Ref | First | Last | Location | County | 2 | 3 | Comment | Status |
| 76:39 | 1952-09-13 | | Madison | Lac qui Parle | | | (record #2003-42, vote 3-7). All ten MOURC members vote on potential first state records. This record had been published in The Flicker (25:47-48), and the species had been included on earlier checklists of Minnesota birds. However, it had never been voted on or Accepted by any previous Records Committee, unlike all other species on the Minnesota list, and the record is virtually unprecedented outside of the species' southwestern U.S. breeding range. Although the description would seem to fit no other species, it also includes mention of “black dots scattered rather regularly over the white surface” of the sides, and this is inconsistent with Black Phoebe. Although this troublesome detail is a relatively minor point, the documentation for such an extremely unusual and unlikely species should not include any anomalies. | Not Accepted |
| 25:47-48 | 1953 | index | | | | | Sight Record of Black Phoebe in Minnesota | |
| 72:164 | 2000-04-29 | | near Elizabeth | Otter Tail | | | (record #2000-26, vote 0-7). Although the observer had experience with this species in the southwestern U.S., she was unaware how unusual the species is here, which suggests the bird was not studied as critically as it should have been. In addition, the documentation is relatively brief, somewhat vague, and not as comprehensive as it should be for a second state record of a bird so far out of range. The description of the plumage only includes mention of “a grayish black back” and a “black chest.” Also, the size of the bird is unclear, and there is no indication why the bird was a phoebe or flycatcher. | Not Accepted |
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  | One fall sight record (1952), originally accepted as Hypothetical. Moved to Accidental 1981. Deleted 2003. |