Report of the Records Committee for 2005

Ann M. Johnson

The year 2005 saw the recording of 333 species of birds in Iowa, probably the most ever. As a result the Records Committee had a very busy year reviewing 77 reports including two old reports. Of the 75 reports for 2005, 62 were accepted and 13 were not. 2005 was a banner year for the state list with Royal Tern (#411), Acorn Woodpecker (#412) and Green Violet-ear (#413) added.

Although some species reports listed below have several citations because they were observed at different locations, it is generally believed that the same individual (Brown Pelican and Black-legged Kittiwake) or groups (Black-bellied Whistling-Duck) were moving around the state throughout the time reported. Other species such as White-winged Dove may actually be having a range expansion if the growing number of reports is an indicator.

Committee members for 2005 with years in which their terms expire were: Mike Overton (2005), Lee Schoenewe (2006), James J. Dinsmore (2007), Aaron Brees (2008), Matt Kenne (2009), Paul Hertzel (2010) and Ann M. Johnson (secretary, appointed by the committee). Stephen J. Dinsmore was nominated by the Committee and appointed by the Board of Directors to fill a regular term beginning in 2006. James J. Dinsmore resigned at the conclusion of 2005 and Mike Overton was nominated and appointed to fill the final two years of Dinsmore’s term.

A remarkable 156 reports were submitted on-line through the IOU website. Most of these were evaluated by the committee while others were used by seasonal editors for their reports. The ease of web access no doubt contributed to the increase in reports and the committee and editors are gratified to have more people reporting. Even reports which are not accepted on review become a permanent part of the archives of Iowa birds and could be important to future researchers.

At its 2005 annual meeting on 2 October, the committee voted to redefine accidental status to be “observed less than four of the last ten years”. This change creates a single year of overlap with the casual status definition and is consistent with the definition on the upper end between casual and regular.

The following status changes were approved by the committee: Brant – accidental to casual; Snowy Plover – accidental to casual; Ruff – accidental to casual; Townsend’s Solitaire – casual to regular; Black-headed Grosbeak – accidental to casual; and Pine Grosbeak – casual to accidental.

The secretary began a new scheme of record numbers by using the full year designation. The six-digit number (year and sequence number) assigned to each record reviewed by the Records Committee is included for future reference. Records are classified as follows: A = Accepted (-S = specimen, -P = photograph, -R = recording, -D = documentation) and NA = Not Accepted. In order to be Accepted, a record must receive 7 votes on the initial review or 6 votes on a subsequent review. The subcategories A-S, A-P, and A-R indicate that physical evidence supports the identification, and records are sub-classified based on a majority vote. References to IBL are the page of the Field Reports in Iowa Bird Life where the record is cited. P- numbers refer to the IOU Photo File entry number. Published notes and previous citations may contain more details. An * indicates a previously uncited documentation.

2005 RECORDS ACCEPTED

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: 18 Apr at W. Okoboji in Dickinson (2005-17, P-1049, IBL 75:122), 19 Apr at Alden in Hardin (2005-18, P-1050, IBL 75:122, 139), 20 Apr at Iowa City in Johnson (2005-19, P-1051, IBL 75:122), 22 Jun along the Mississippi R. in Lee (2005-32, IBL 75:165, 166) and 26 Jul to 12 Sep at L. Anita in Cass (2005-40, IBL 76:17).

Clark’s Grebe: 26 to 28 Nov at Spirit L. in Dickinson (2005-66, IBL 76:17, 21).

Brown Pelican: 14 to 18 Jul at Spirit L. in Dickinson (2005-37, P-1058, IBL 75:165, 168), 30 Jul to 28 Aug at Jester P. in Polk (2005-41, P-1060, IBL 75:165, 168) and 18 to 23 Nov at Red Rock R. in Marion (2005-60, P-1067, IBL 76:17, 21). (Dinsmore and Dinsmore 2006)

Magnificent Frigatebird: 4 to 5 Sep at L. Macbride in Johnson (2005-53, P-1065, IBL 76:17, 21 [Lowder 2006]).

Frigatebird sp.: 18 Sep at Hawkeye WA in Johnson (2005-55, IBL 76:17, 21 [Lowder 2006]).

Black Vulture: 20 Aug at Hitchcock NC in Pottawattamie (2005-46, IBL 76:17, 22 [Orsag 2006]) and 21 Nov at Hazelton in Buchanan (2005-62, P-1068, IBL 76:17, 22 [Cabell 2006]).

Ferruginous Hawk: 17 Oct and 23 Nov at Hitchcock NC in Pottawattamie (2005-57, P-1066 and 2005-63, IBL 76:17, 23 [Orsag 2006]) and 17 Oct at Doolittle Prairie in Story (2005-69, IBL 76:17, 23).

Prairie Falcon: 9 Nov at Hitchcock NC in Pottawattamie (2005-59, IBL 76:17, 23 [Orsag 2006]).

King Rail: 11 May to 14 Aug at Cumming Wetland in Warren (2005-26, P-1055, IBL 75:122, 125, cover, 165, 169; IBL 76:17, 23 [Gilliam 2005]).

Snowy Plover: 22 Aug at L. Rathbun in Appanoose (2005-61, IBL 76:17, 24).

Whimbrel: 27 May at Riverton WA in Fremont (2005-31, IBL 75:122, 126).

Red Knot: 14 to 17 Aug at Jester P. in Polk (2005-64, IBL 76:17, 25) and 26 to 28 Aug at Red Rock Res. in Marion (2005-50, P-1064, IBL 76:17, 25, 37).

Ruff: 6 May at Riverton WA in Fremont (2005-21, IBL 75:122, 127).

Pomarine Jaeger: 26 to 30 Oct at Red Rock Res. in Marion (2005-67, P-1069, IBL 76:17,26, 37).

Little Gull: 3 Sep at Welch L. in Dickinson (2005-52, IBL 76:17, 26).

Black-headed Gull: 16 Jul to 5 Nov at Spirit L. in Dickinson (2005-38, IBL 75:165, 171; IBL 76:17, 26).

California Gull: 19 Mar at L. Manawa in Pottawattamie (2005-13, IBL 75:122, 128 *Marshall Iliff) and 2 Dec at Ft. Madison in Lee (2005-72, IBL 76:87, 92).

Iceland Gull: 10 Jan at Iowa City in Johnson (2005-03, IBL 75:61, 65 *Bob Dick, *Chris Edwards) and 11 Jan at Mississippi R. Pool 15 in Scott (2005-05, IBL 75:61, 65 *Steve Freed).

Great Black-backed Gull: 2 Dec at Keokuk in Lee (2005-71, IBL 76:87, 92) and 26 to 29 Dec at Davenport in Scott (2005-68, IBL 76:87, 92).

Black-legged Kittiwake: 11 Nov at L & D 9 in Allamakee (2005-65, IBL 76:17, 27), 1 to 4 Dec at Saylorville Res. in Polk (2005-74, P-1070, IBL 76:88,92, 97) and 10 Dec at Red Rock Res. in Marion (2005-75, IBL 76:88, 92).

Royal Tern: 20 Aug to 14 Sep at L. Rathbun in Appanoose (2005-45, P-1062, IBL 76:17, 27, 37 [Dinsmore and Gilliam 2006]).

White-winged Dove: 10 to 13 Apr at Sioux City in Woodbury (2005-23, P-1052, IBL 75:122, 128), 4 Jul at Kingsley in Plymouth (2005-35, P-1057, IBL 75:165, 171), 29-31 Jul at Graettinger in Palo Alto (2005-39, IBL 75:165, 171), 2 Aug at Havelock in Pocahontas (2005-42, IBL 76:17, 27), 7 to 11 Aug at Norwalk in Warren (2005-43, P-1061, IBL 76:17, 27, 38) and 31 Dec near Spirit L. in Dickinson (2005-73, IBL 76:88, 92).

Northern Hawk Owl: 24 Dec 2004 to 2 Apr at Manly in Worth (2005-09, P-1046, IBL 75:61, 66, cover, 122, 129, 135 [Cecil 2005 and Hertzel 2006]).

Great Gray Owl: 16 to 17 Jan near Madrid in Boone (2005-04, P-1043, IBL 75:61, 66, cover [Cecil 2005]), 14 Feb at Jesup in Buchanan (2005-08, P-1045, IBL 75:66 [Cecil 2005]), 16 Feb near Milford in Dickinson (2005-10, P-1047, IBL 75:61, 66 [Cecil 2005]) and 6 to 17 Apr at Decorah in Winneshiek (2005-15, P-1048, IBL 75:122, 129).

Green Violet-ear: 27 Sep to 4 Oct near Grundy Center in Grundy (2005-49, P-1063, IBL 76:17, 28, cover [Neher 2006]).

Acorn Woodpecker: 1 Sep at Ames in Story (2005-48, P-1062, IBL 76:17, 28).

Vermilion Flycatcher: 15 May to 10 Sep at Whiterock Conservancy in Guthrie (2005-28, P-1056, IBL 75:122, 130, 140, 165, 172; IBL 76:17, 29).

Common Raven: 23 Sep near Storm Lake in Buena Vista (2005-51, IBL 76:17, 29).

Townsend’s Solitaire: 12 to 14 Feb at Floyd in Floyd (2005-07, IBL 75:61, 67).

Summer Tanager: 11 Apr at Mason City in Cerro Gordo (2005-47, IBL 75:136 *Carolyn Fischer [Fischer 2005]).

Western Tanager: 11 to 17 May at Mason City in Cerro Gordo (2005-25, P-1054, IBL 75:122, 136 [Fischer 2005]), 15 May at Iowa City in Johnson (2005-27, IBL 75:122, 136) and 17 Aug at Hitchcock NC in Pottawattamie (2005-44, IBL 76:17, 33 [Orsag 2006]).

Lark Bunting: 7 May at Gitchie Manitou in Lyon (2005-22, IBL 75:122, 136).

Black-headed Grosbeak: 29 to 30 Jan at Garnavillo in Clayton (2005-06, P-1044, IBL 75:61, 68) and 25 May at Hitchcock WA in Pottawattamie (2005-30, IBL 75:122, 137).

Lazuli Bunting: 10 May at Hitchcock NC in Pottawattamie (2005-24, P-101053, IBL 75:122, 137) and 19 May at Sidney in Fremont (2005-29, IBL 75:122, 137).

Pine Grosbeak: 11 Oct at Twin Elms P. in Hardin (2005-56, IBL 76:17, 35).

2005 RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED

Barrow’s Goldeneye: Less than optimal viewing conditions prevented the observers from seeing all the critical field marks necessary for a positive ID of a difficult to separate group (2005-70, IBL 76:19).

Brown Pelican: A very brief description could not rule out a discolored White Pelican (2005-20, IBL 75:122, 124).

Osprey: Reviewers generally believed this report could have been correct but it was lacking enough description to be certain (2005-02, IBL 75:61, 64).

Gyrfalcon: A report of a white raptor was considered to be most likely an albinistic buteo (2005-58).

Black Rail: The description was not conclusive for this species (2005-36).

Bonaparte’s Gull: Lacking description of some of the critical field marks, the committee took a conservative stance (2005-11, IBL 75:61, 65).

Great Gray Owl: One photographed which appeared to be this species at first glance proved to be a Barred Owl with an unusually prominent bow tie marking (2005-01, P-1041, IBL 75:61, 66).

Selasphorus sp.: The description of a Rufous Hummingbird was too brief to be conclusive as to genus (2005-54).

Alder Flycatcher: A heard-only bird at an unusual time of year left some doubt (2005-33).

Black-billed Magpie: The committee was split on this report but felt that the description was too minimal to support the identification of a bird well east of its normal range (2005-12, IBL 75:122,130).

Hooded Crow: A crow with interesting plumage was determined to be either an odd American Crow or an escaped crow of foreign descent (2005-34, IBL 75:166).

MacGillvray’s Warbler: A report was tantalizing but was not accepted when the observer expressed some doubts (2005-16).

Hoary Redpoll: A report that might well have been correct was not accepted after considerable discussion. The observer’s inability to see the undertail coverts despite trying left just a shadow of a doubt. A pale Common Redpoll can often appear to be a Hoary and observation of all key field marks is critical (2005-14, IBL 75:61, 69).

OLD RECORDS REVIEWED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND NOT ACCEPTED

Fulvous Whistling-Duck: A brief report submitted quite some time after the observation, as well as the possibility of an escaped bird, was a problem for the committee (2005-AA).

Purple Gallinule: A specimen discovered in a collection may well have been taken in Iowa in the early 1900s, but the lack of concrete details on date and location created a split vote (2005-AB).

LITERATURE CITED

Cabell, S. 2006. Black Vulture in Hazelton. Iowa Bird Life 76:59.

Cecil, R. 2005. Northern Owl Invasion Winter 2004-2005. Iowa Bird Life 75:93.

Dinsmore, S.J. and J.J. Dinsmore. 2006. Brown Pelican in Central Iowa. Iowa Bird Life 76:60.

Dinsmore, S.J. and J. Gilliam. 2006. Royal Tern at Rathbun Lake. Iowa Bird Life 76:57-58.

Fischer, C. 2005. Three Tanager Species in Mason City. Iowa Bird Life 75:53.

Gilliam, J. 2005. Nesting King Rails in Warren County. Iowa Bird Life 75:146-148.

Hertzel, P. 2006. Northern Hawk Owl in Worth County. Iowa Bird Life 76:102-105.

Lowder, K. 2006. Magnificent Frigatebird in Johnson County. Iowa Bird Life 76:106-107.

Neher, L. and M. 2006. Green Violet-ear, First Iowa Record. Iowa Bird Life 76:56-57.

Orsag, M. 2006. Hitchcock Nature Center Hawk Watch, Fall 2005. Iowa Bird Life 76:39-56.
 

© Iowa Ornithologists’ Union