MOURC Proceedings Archive - New World Vultures 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: New World Vultures
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture (C) (Coragyps atratus)Start Date 1987-01-01
RefFirstLastLocationCounty23CommentStatus
54:1471981-10-10Upper Missisippi River N.W.R.Houston(vote 5-2, with 7-0 required for acceptance) A very difficult record to evaluate. Although the observer was experienced with this species from the South and had a close, prolonged look at this individual, the "white underside wing spots" was the only diagnostic Black Vulture field mark observed. The minority was of the opinion that for a first state record more features should have been described, primarily the manner of flight and the head and tail shapes. Also the details submitted were dated one month after the sighting, suggesting the description is too dependent on the observer's memory. Not Accepted
57:341984-10-29MinnetonkaHennepin(vote 3-4). Everyone agreed that the bird may very well have been a Black Vulture especially suggestive were the shape and position of the white wing patches. However, the majority had reservations about there being only one observer, relatively inexperienced, that the head shape and color were not seen, and that the description of the manner of flight did not rule out other raptors. Also, the observer eliminated immature Golden Eagle and melanistic Rough-legged Hawk (both of which can have white wing patches), on the mistaken belief that they would have shown obvious white on the tail, but both can have tails which appear all dark. Not Accepted
174:362001-08-28Hawk Ridge, DuluthSt. Louis(record #2001-63, vote 10-0. All ten MOURC members vote on potential first state records, and this was accepted unanimously as species number 427 on the Minnesota list. The documentation includes clearly identifiable photos. Accepted
avian
information
2001-08-28St. Louis8/28 St. Louis (first state record) (first county record)
One photographed 8/28 St. Louis (H.R.N.R. in Duluth) †FJN, †KRE et al. First state record (The Loon 74:63–65).
74:1612001-08-31near HastingsDakota(record #2002-03, vote 1-6). The field notes written at the time of the observation only describe a black bird smaller than nearby Turkey Vultures with “white on tips of wings.” For a report of such an unusual species (a potential second state record), a much more complete description is necessary. Some additional documentation was written later, but it is still incomplete and apparently written only from memory two months after the observation. Not Accepted
74:1612001-10-23DuluthSt. Louis(record #2002-07, vote 0-7). The description only includes that the bird was smaller than a Turkey Vulture, with light-colored wing tips, a short tail, and it flew with more flapping and less gliding. As with the previous record (2002-03), much more complete documentation is needed for such an unusual species. Not Accepted
276:392003-04-29DuluthSt. Louis(record #2003-82, vote 6-1). Although this bird, which represents a second state record, was not photographed or documented as thoroughly as the first record from Duluth, also seen by the same observer, it was sufficiently described by the observer who has thorough experience with this and similar species. Accepted
avian
information
2003-04-29St. Louis4/29 St. Louis (second state record) (second county record)
376:1522004-05-26Highway 61 at Encampment ForestLake(record #2004-042, vote 7-0). This third state record was thoroughly documented by contemporaneous field notes and sketches. Accepted
avian
information
2004-05-26Lake5/26 Lake (third state record) (first county record)
Third state record 5/26 Lake (state highway 61 at Encampment Forest) †JWL.
79:1822007indexFirst Black Vulture away form Lake Superior
479:1232007-03-242007-03-25Afton MarinaWashington(record #2007-012, vote 7-0; The Loon 79:182-183). Identifiably photographed in flight next to a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). Fourth state record. Accepted
avian
information
2007-03-242007-03-25Washington3/24-25 Washington (fourth state record) (first county record)
Fourth state record (and first away from North Shore of L. Superior) 3/24–25 Washington (Afton) BRL, ph. †AXH, ph. †DWK, †WCM, v.t. PN, m.ob.
79:1232007-04-10county road 12 near US highway 169Mille Lacs(record #2007-015, vote 3-4). The majority was concerned that dark morph buteos and other raptor species were not considered and eliminated. Field notes were not submitted. Not Accepted
80:1152008-04-09Eden PrairieHennepin(record #2008-014, vote 1-6). This intriguing report by an experienced observer emphasized the bird's shape and manner of flight. Unfortunately, optics were not available and the distance of 0.3 mile precluded detection of this species' diagnostic silvery wing-tip patches. Not Accepted
582:1032010-05-152010-05-16Stoney PointSt. Louis(record #2010-014, vote 7-0). Fifth state record. Photographed. Accepted
avian
information
2010-05-152010-05-16St. Louis5/15, 16 St. Louis (fifth state record) (third county record)
Fifth state record and third for St. Louis County 5/15–16 St. Louis (Stoney Point) †JGr, †JCG, ph. †PHS, PRH.
683:992011-05-11North OaksRamsey(record #2011-017, vote 7-0, photographed and videotaped). Accepted
avian
information
2011-05-11Ramsey5/11 Ramsey (sixth state record) (first county record)
Sixth state record, all since 2001:5/11 Ramsey (North Oaks) ph. v.t TAN.
83:992011-05-15Carver Park Reserve, VictoriaCarver(record #2011-019, vote 0-7). Many members agreed that this may have been a Black Vulture, but the description was not adequate for such a rarity. Though the observer indicated the flight differed from Turkey Vultures, that was not clearly described. Other raptors besides Black Vultures have white in the wings. There is no mention of leg color which can be visible at long distances. Also, no mention of the tail size in relation to the feet was given which would clearly aid in the evaluation. Not Accepted
793:32012-05-04 Eagan, along Cliff Road at Greenleaf Drive West, near Holz LakeDakota (record #2012-051, vote 7-0). Adult. Seventh state and first county record. Though this record was the seventh state record chronologically, there are now nine state records in total.

Accepted
888:912016-05-04Bethany Lutheran College, MankatoBlue Earth(record #2016-012, vote 7-0). First county record. Accepted
avian
information
2016-05-04Blue Earth5/4 Blue Earth (seventh state record) (first county record)
Seventh state and sixth spring record: 5/4 Blue Earth (Bethany Lutheran College) †ChH.
992:32019-08-18Hawk Ridge Bird ObservatorySt. Louis(record #2019-042, vote 7-0). This is the second accepted record from this location; the first was 28 August 2001 (The Ornithologists' Union Records Committee Thomas A. Tustison, Chairman Loon 74:36) which was a first state record at the time. Accepted
avian
information
2019-08-18St. Louis8/18 St. Louis (eighth state record) (fourth county record)
Eight state and second fall record: 8/18 St. Louis (H.R.N.R.) † JPR.
1095:32023-05-22 Forestville State ParkFillmore (record #2023-059, vote 7-0). Adult, photographed. First county record and eleventh state record.

Accepted
avian
information
2023-05-22Fillmore5/22 Fillmore (ninth state record) (first county record)
One report of this Casual species: 5/22 Fillmore (Forestville S.P.) ph. †ToM.
avian
information
2023-06-182023-06-19Aitkin6/18, 19 Aitkin (tenth state record) (first county record)
 
 Twelve records: ten spring and two fall. Recorded in four of the last ten years, most recently 2023.

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