MOURC Proceedings Archive - Whistling-Ducks, Geese, Swans, Ducks 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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Whistling-Ducks, Geese, Swans, Ducks
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Proceedings
Species: Whistling-Ducks, Geese, Swans, Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Ross's Goose
[Taiga Bean-Goose]
Brant
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
[Whooper Swan]
Garganey
Cinnamon Teal
Eurasian Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Tufted Duck
Greater Scaup
King Eider
Common Eider
[Somateria eider]
Bufflehead
Barrow's Goldeneye
Smew

Common Eider (A) (Somateria mollissima)Start Date 0000-00-00
RefFirstLastLocationCounty23CommentStatus
25:141-1421953indexThe Eider in the Upper Midwest
1MOU1953-11-07Grand MaraisCookThe Loon 25:143–144Accepted
avian
information
1953-11-07Cook11/7 Cook (first state record) (first county record)
2MOU1959-10-25Lake of the Woods, near WarroadLake of the WoodsThe Loon 32:34 Two Common Eiders were shot on this date along the south shore of Lake of the Woods, near Warroad, Roseau county. The specimens were sent to the Museum of Natural History. Following are excerpts from Dr. John M. Larson's letter to Dr. Breckenridge. "The two specimens were first observed flying together, both very low over the water out in front of our blind. The one bird was shot dead and the other crippled. This occurred in the early morning on October 25 on the south shore of Lake of the Woods about 2 miles distant from the village of Warroad. The next day Mr. Olson brought me the skin. He had tried to pluck it but had given up and skinned it. Not knowing what it was he tried to eat it. Needless to say it was very unpalatable. This second specimen was shot on the afternoon of the 25th about 5 miles from the first and was already crippled according to Mr. Olson. We are all of the opinion that this bird was the same one we had crippled earlier in the morning." The race of Common Eider of these two specimens has not been determined as yet.Accepted
avian
information
1959-10-25Lake of the Woods10/25 Lake of the Woods (third state record) (first county record)
32:341959-10-25Lake of the Woods, near WarroadRoseau Rejected
3MOU1959-11-07Squaw LakeItascaThe Loon 32:34–35 November 6, 1959 - One Common Eider was shot on this date at Squaw Lake, Itasca County. It was taken from a flock of seven ducks which appeared similar in flight. The partially plucked specimen was obtained by Game Warden Robert Grieg who turned it over to Regional Game Manager Milton Stenlund. The exact race of Common Eider of this specimen has not been determined as yet. A photograph of the head was sent to Dr. John W. Aldrich of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and he thought it would appear to be of the race v. nigra. The specimen has been given to the Minnesota Museum of Natural History and it will be studied further for determination of race along with the two previously described specimens.Accepted
avian
information
1959-11-07Itasca11/7 Itasca (second state record) (first county record)
32:34-371960indexUnusual Waterfowl Records for Minnesota
438:411960-11-06Lake HendricksLincolnThe Loon 38:41 Additional Eider and Scoter Records - On November 6, 1960, a Common Eider was shot from a flock of about eight ducks at Lake Hendricks, Lincoln County, Minnesota. It is very likely the other ducks in the flock were also Common Eiders.Accepted
38:411966indexAdditional Eider and Scoter Records
5MOU1966-11-05Lake RenoPopeThe Loon 39:26 Common Eiders shot in Pope County - On November 5, 1966 two male Common Eiders were shot from a flock of four birds that were flying low over the water of Lake Reno, Pope County. The other two birds in the flock appeared to be the same size and shape and have the same coloration as the two that were shot. It is assumed that they were also Common Eiders. The two birds were turned over to the Musuem of Natural History University of Minnesota and are now part of the specimen collection.Accepted
avian
information
1966-11-05Pope11/5 Pope (fourth state record) (first county record)
39:261967indexCommon Eiders Shot in Pope County
55:1171969-05-15MarshallLyon(vote 0-7 ; vote 3-4 as eider, sp.) A sketch of this bird was rediscovered in the observer's files, and it suggested strongly a female eider, but the sketch was not very detailed, no field notes were apparently made, and the observer could only remember its larger size, brown coloration and "pronounced bars on the sides ." It was felt that this was not enough for acceptance for such an unusual species, especially after 14 years had passed. Not Accepted
76:391978-12-27Stoney PointSt. Louis(record #2003-39, Not Accepted 0–7 as Common Eider / Accepted 5–2 as eider, sp.). This record previously had been voted on and narrowly Accepted as a Common Eider, but the current Committee voted to reconsider the record and revise that decision. Although the majority was of the opinion that this was an eider, it was unanimously felt the description is not thorough enough to preclude King Eider. In fact, the description states “the back was dark,” and this is more indicative of King Eider rather than a Common. Not Accepted
51:1441979indexA Common Eider at Stoney Point
52:1181980indexProbable Common Eider, Battle Lake, Otter Tail County
54:411982-09-26Lac qui Parle L.Lac qui Parle(vote 2-5) Although this might have been a female/immature eider, there was nothing in the description to eliminate King Eider. However, the majority could not accept this as even an eider, sp. since the plumage was desrcibed as uniformly dark brown with no mention of barring; eiders are not dark brown and they are obviously barred, especially when seen at close range as this bird was. The bird was unnaturally tame with the observers approaching it to within 15 feet this fact and the plumage suggest the bird Spring 1983 may have been a domestic duck of some kind. Not Accepted
687:42014-11-102015-02-15DuluthSt. Louis(record #2014-051, vote 7–0). Photographed. Fifth state and first county record. Both female/ immature birds were identified and accepted as the subspecies S. m. v-nigrum, or Pacific Common Eider. This subspecies is a candidate for a future split into a separate species. It breeds in the coastal, arctic waters of Alaska and northeastern Siberia. The last previous Minnesota record of Common Eider was 5 November 1966 at Lake Reno, Pope County (The Loon 39:26). First discovered at Brighton Beach, one or both birds were later seen at various Duluth locations including Leif Erickson Park, Glensheen Historic Mansion, Canal Park, and the Minnesota side of Superior Entry. The two birds separated after 15 November 2014 with only the bird with an orangish bill tip being seen afterwards. This remaining bird was most frequently seen associating with other ducks at Canal Park. It was observed repeatedly at Canal Park until 18 January 2015. It was later discovered at Barkers Island in Superior, Wisconsin on 24 Union Records Committee Thomas A. Tustison, Chairman January 2014, and at three other locations in Superior where it was seen sporadically at least until 23 March 2015. It returned to Canal Park on 3 February 2015 and was seen irregularly there and in Superior through late March. Accepted
avian
information
2014-11-102014-11-30St. Louis11/10-30 St. Louis (sixth state record) (first county record)
Two new county records of this accidental species and the first sightings in Minnesota since 1966. Two female/immature S. m. v-nigrum (“Pacific” Common Eider) were discovered 11/10 off Brighton Beach in St. Louis during a snowstorm ph. †KJB. They were refound several times as they moved along the Duluth shoreline, one bird present through 11/15 and the other remaining well into the winter season, and considerable additional documentation was submitted: ph. †PHS, ph. †AXH, ph. †KRE, †PCC, ph. †TRK, ph. †MJM, plus photographic documentation from ten additional observers. A third female/immature S. m. v-nigrum was located in Lake (Silver Bay Marina) 11/13–15 ph. †BMy, ph. †JWL, ph. †BAF, ph. DWK, m.ob. Also see winter report.
787:42014-11-132014-11-15Silver Bay MarinaLake(record #2014-052, vote 7–0). Female/immature, photographed. Sixth state and first county record. The bird was determined to be of the subspecies Somateria mollissima v-nigrum. It was ascertained to be distinct from the two Common Eiders seen in Duluth. Accepted
avian
information
2014-11-132014-11-15Lake11/13-15 Lake (fifth state record) (first county record)
Two new county records of this accidental species and the first sightings in Minnesota since 1966. Two female/immature S. m. v-nigrum (“Pacific” Common Eider) were discovered 11/10 off Brighton Beach in St. Louis during a snowstorm ph. †KJB. They were refound several times as they moved along the Duluth shoreline, one bird present through 11/15 and the other remaining well into the winter season, and considerable additional documentation was submitted: ph. †PHS, ph. †AXH, ph. †KRE, †PCC, ph. †TRK, ph. †MJM, plus photographic documentation from ten additional observers. A third female/immature S. m. v-nigrum was located in Lake (Silver Bay Marina) 11/13–15 ph. †BMy, ph. †JWL, ph. †BAF, ph. DWK, m.ob. Also see winter report.
avian
information
2014-12-052015-02-19St. Louis12/5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 1/1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 31, 2/3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 14, 19 St. Louis (seventh state record) (second county record)
Female (S. m. v-nigrum), one of two discovered 11/10 at Brighton Beach, St. Louis KJB (see Fall 2014 Seasonal Report) overwintered St. Louis (Canal Park) m.ob. and was last reported in Minnesota 2/19. This much-photographed female also moved back and forth to neighboring Superior WI (Barker's Island) where it was recorded in January, February, and after it left Minnesota for good, through at least 23 March (eBird reports).
 
 Seven records: six fall and one fall-winter. Recorded in one (2014) of the last ten years. Three additional records of Somateria 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