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 - Rails, Gallinules, Coots |
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: Rails, Gallinules, Coots |
|
King Rail |
Purple Gallinule |
Yellow Rail |
Black Rail |
| Black Rail (A) (Laterallus jamaicensis) | Start Date 0000-00-00 | ||||||||
| Ref | First | Last | Location | County | 2 | 3 | Comment | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90:83 | 1934-05-25 | Little Rock Lake | Benton | (record #1934-001, vote 1-9). (The Loon 37:52) The observer seemingly mentioned this observation in his notes as a mere curiosity. It's also unfortunate that the two printed transcriptions of his notes are different enough to cast doubt on which, if either, of the versions is accurate. The observer, admittedly uncertain of the sighting at the time, maintained personal county checklists but didn't include this sighting. | Not Accepted | ||||
| MOU | 1934-05-25 | Little Rock Lake | Benton | The Flicker 37:52; Not Accepted per POM 2018-B, Loon 90:86. | Recirculated | ||||
| avian information | 1934-05-25 | Benton | 5/25 Benton (first state record) (first county record) | ||||||
| MOU | 1951-03-01 | Rice | The Flicker 29:58 | Recirculated | |||||
| 90:83 | 1951-05-01 | Fox Lake | Rice | (record #1951-001, vote 2-8). The date originally reported as 1 March 1951 appears to be a typo (this would be astoundingly early for this species to be present in the state) and presumably the date was meant to be 1 May 1951. A feather, allegedly retrieved from a shot bird, is missing and not verifiable as a Black Rail. There is no actual specimen and there is no information about the bird from the person who shot it. The feather in question cannot be located for further inspection or DNA analysis. All we have are statements from others, and not Dr. Warner who examined the feather, that the feather was determined to be consistent in appearance with Black Rail. Janssen (Birds in Minnesota, 1987, pp 114) summarizes this with the statement that the feather “compared favorably with existing specimens.” There is no actual description of the feather itself that might have aided the discussion of this record. To the best of our knowledge, there is nothing written by Dr. Warner whereby he categorically states that the feather was from a Black Rail. | Not Accepted | ||||
| MOU | 1951-05-01 | Fox Lake | Rice | The Loon 48:145; POM 2018-B, Loon 90:86. | Recirculated | ||||
| avian information | 1951-05-01 | Rice | 5/1 Rice (second state record) (first county record) | ||||||
| MOU | 1957-05-08 | Goose Lake | Anoka | The Flicker 29:121 | |||||
| MOU | 1962-05-12 | Long Meadow Slough | Hennepin | (record #1962-001, vote 0-7). MOURC unanimously agreed that the report lacked sufficient details to accept such an important observation. | Not Accepted | ||||
| 93:111 | 1962-05-14 | Long Meadow Lake, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge | Hennepin | (record #1962-001, vote 0-7). MOURC unanimously agreed that the report lacked sufficient details to accept such an important observation. | Not Accepted | ||||
| avian information | 1962-05-14 | Hennepin | 5/14 Hennepin (third state record) (first county record) | ||||||
| 37:52 | 1965 | index | Unusual Minnesota Records: Black Rail (?) | ||||||
| 40:101 | 1968 | index | Black Rail Seen in Anoka County | ||||||
| 90:83 | 1968-08-14 | Martin Lake | Anoka | (record #1968-001, vote 4-6). Given the closeness to the bird (10 to 13 feet) and the canoe moving closer one would think this would have been a very brief encounter. Despite the experience with Sora and Virginia rails, there is no evidence that either observer had ever seen a Black Rail. No optics were mentioned. There is little description at all other than (The Loon 41:101) “We were certain that this was a Black Rail in adult plumage, as we were able to see the white spots on its back”. Other than the conclusory remark that this was a Black Rail and reference to the spots, there are virtually no other details regarding size, plumage, or soft parts. Details should have been obvious at this range as the bird was in clear view for a «sufficiently long» observation. This hardly meets minimal standards for a description of such a rare sighting. | Not Accepted | ||||
| MOU | 1968-08-14 | Martin Lake | Anoka | The Loon 40:101; Not Accepted per POM 2018-B, Loon 90:86. | Recirculated | ||||
| avian information | 1968-08-14 | Anoka | 8/14 Anoka (fourth state record) (first county record) | ||||||
| 43:58 | 1971 | index | Black Rail in Goodhue County | ||||||
| 90:83 | 1971-05-12 | Frontenac | Goodhue | (record #1971-001, vote 3-7). (The Loon 43:52) “I saw a tiny bird dart between the green tufts of grass no more than 3 feet in front of me. I told Karen that what I saw was not black but black-andbrown with white spots.” There is no indication of where these colors were located on the bird. Neither observer had experience with the bird. What was seen was conceivably not even a rail. The details are lacking in specificity. It is not even clear whether optics were used to see the bird as it darted. The power of suggestion may be at play when the field guides were used for verification. | Not Accepted | ||||
| MOU | 1971-05-12 | north of Frontenac | Goodhue | The Loon 43:58; Not Accepted per POM 2018-B, Loon 90:86. | Recirculated | ||||
| avian information | 1971-05-12 | Goodhue | 5/12 Goodhue (fifth state record) (first county record) one of the few reports of this species In the state came on 5-12 at Frontenac, Goodhue Co.; 1 adult was seen by WKE, FN ana good supporting details were submitted. | ||||||
| 44:121 | 1972 | index | Black Rail in Bloomington | ||||||
| 1 | 91:89 | 1972-10-01 | Girard Lake | Hennepin | (record #1972-001, initial vote 8-2, recirculated vote 10-0). Adult. Potential first state record; however, there are still two pre-MOURC purported observations/specimens yet to be evaluated (14 May 1962, Long Meadow Lake, Hennepin County and a specimen donated in 1914 to an Albany, New York museum labeled from Parker's Prairie, Otter Tail County). | Accepted | |||
| MOU | 1972-10-01 | Girard Lake, Bloomington | Hennepin | The Loon 44:121 | Accepted | ||||
| avian information | 1972-10-01 | Hennepin | 10/1 Hennepin (sixth state record) (second county record) | ||||||
| 51:142 | 1979 | index | A Black Rail in Hennepin County | ||||||
| 2 | 90:83 | 1979-06-06 | 1979-06-30 | Mound | Hennepin | (record #1979-001, vote 9-1). First state record (The Loon 51:142). The Committee voted to review all previously published Black Rail observations in the state that had never been formally voted on. Many of these records preceded the formation of MOURC in 1974. There are still a few, pre-MOURC Black Rail observations undergoing further research and those will be reviewed after the work is completed. There are no Accepted records supported by physical evidence. Therefore, the species will be considered as an AS regarding its status in the 2019 Checklist. Also see Unaccepted Records elsewhere in this article. | Accepted | ||
| 3 | MOU | 1979-06-11 | 1979-06-30 | Minnetrista Twp., Mound | Hennepin | The Loon 51:142 | Accepted | ||
| avian information | 1979-06-11 | 1979-06-30 | Hennepin | 6/11-30 Hennepin (seventh state record) (third county record) Seen in Hennepin (Minnetrista Twp., 6-11 to 6-30, Loon 51:142). | |||||
| 68:164 | 1996-05-04 | Minneapolis | Hennepin | The description is too brief and incomplete for such an unusual species to be accepted. The observers also describe themselves as inexperienced, and at one point in the documentation they state, “we're now both skeptical that it was a Black Rail.” | Not Accepted | ||||
| 75:160 | 2003-04-22 | Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge | Lac qui Parle | (record #2003-19, vote 2-5). The documentation is well-written and includes a suggestive sketch, but unfortunately this is a very unusual bird that was seen only briefly as it flew away from the observer. “Grayish streaks across back” was the only plumage feature visible, but this is not consistent with Black Rail. The majority felt a better look or vocalizations would be necessary before any reports of this Accidental species could be accepted. | Not Accepted | ||||
| 76:152 | 2004-05-22 | 2004-06-12 | Big Stone N.W.R. | Lac qui Parle | (record #2004-058, vote 2-5). This tantalizing report included drawings of tracks in the mud and a written description of “khee-khe-err” and “khekhe-urr” calls, but most MOURC members did not consider a brief glimpse of a small dark bird sprinting across an opening in the marsh sufficient documentation for a species that has not been recorded in the state for 25 years. A standard documentation format was not followed, so the report lacked basic information including the observer's previous experience with this species, how other species were eliminated, and whether or not field guides were consulted. | Not Accepted | |||
| 90:3 | 2017-08-06 | Sherburne wildlife refuge, wildlife drive | Sherburne | (record #2017-040, vote 0-7). | Not Accepted | ||||
| avian information | 2021-05-29 | 2021-05-31 | Anoka | 5/29, 30, 31 Anoka (eighth state record) (second county record) First record since 1979, 5/29–31 Anoka (heard and briefly seen at Rice Creek marsh near Rice Lake) †AMH, †AXH, †EzH, †IsH, †TAT. | |||||
| Four records: two summer, one fall, and one undated. Recorded in one (2021) of the last ten years. Federal designation: Eastern population, Threatened. | |||||||||
| 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 | ||