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Re: Trumpeter Swan status

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Matt Hafner

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Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:14:12 -0500

Note: I had already written most of this before I received Phil's email, but I don't think there is much overlap.? I'm glad to see that the Records Committee will be discussing this at the upcoming meeting.

I've tried to keep up with the Trumpeter Swan saga in MD and the overall region to get a grasp on their expansion.? Over the past few days I've tried to gather some information about how other states are handling the situation.? 

More important than "countability" to me, is where does this place Trumpeter Swan on the MD state list?? Currently, it is listed as "Extirpated", but the MDDCRC did add the species to the Review List last year.? Please correct me if I'm wrong Phil, but I how read this is that once a record is reviewed and accepted, the "Extirpated" tag would be removed?? To me, this would signify that Trumpeter Swans are again considered a regular and established?part of MD's avifauna.? 

Many states in the Great Lakes region have been introducing Trumpeter Swans since the late 80s and early 90s.? Most of the states have also changed the status of Trumpeter Swan from "Extirpated" to "Regular" (or similar wording).? These include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, and Ontario.? Oddly enough, though the Ontario program is close to (if not THE) oldest and most established reintroduction program, they were the?the most recent?to consider their birds established (Oct 2007? http://www.ofo.ca/publicationsandsales/onindex.php?See Vol 25?# 3).? 

Two other states that have breeding reintroduced Trumpeter Swans do not consider their birds to be established (to the best of my internet-based knowledge), New York and Ohio.? See the asterisk at the end of this Official Ohio State Checklist: http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/checklist/field/4Column_Codes.pdf?published in Nov?2007.? Also, see the Trumpeter Swan report from the most recent NYSARC Report (2004, but published in 2008):? http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/Reports/NYSARC2004.html? I'm still hoping to get a summary or scanned copy of the Kingbird article that is cited here.

For states, like Maryland, that do not have reintroduced breeding populations, there have been varied approaches.? Illinois considers the entire Great Lakes population established and birds presumed to be arriving from there are considered countable.? However, just across the border in Indiana, they are not countable.? 

North Carolina reviewed a group of 4 Trumpeter Swans from 2004 and accepted them as countable because states in the Great Lakes consider them established and countable. 
http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/chat/issues/2005/v69n1nc_brc_2004.pdf

New Jersey, in their last Records Committee Report, said they were going to conduct more research on the reintroduction programs before making a decision.? They were reviewing one bird?tagged in?Wye Marsh (like the Schoolhouse and Oxbow birds) and one untagged/unbanded bird.? http://www.njaudubon.org/research/PDF/Njbfall08.pdf

Anyone who's been on a Records Committee, or just?read?certain discussions on MDOsprey,?knows that birds with origin questions are some of the most difficult records to consider.? Fortunately, with the Oxbow and Schoolhouse birds, we know exactly where they came from, a rare gem of information for a record with origin questions!? I certainly do not envy committee members that have to review unbanded Trumpeter Swans!

As far as "countability" is concerned, I'm for an "Everybody plays by the same rules" mentality, but as Phil mentioned there is no "governing body" for MD.? This is for fun after all.? I currently do not count any of them, but that wouldn't stop me from trying to see them all.

Still caring about MD birds and birding,

Matt Hafner
Ocala, FL






-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Magnusson <>
To: 
Sent: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 5:24 am
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Trumpeter Swan status



Yesterday Jo Solem, Emy Holdridge, and I trundled over to Harford County to look 
at the Trumpeter Swans there. Conditions were great for studying these birds.

I haven't really kept up with the trumpeter swan saga in MD and was wondering if 
someone (from the records committee?) could give all of us some background as to 
their status (regarding countability) - past, present, and future.

Also, is there anyone out there who can refresh our collective memory as to the 
"provenance" of the "regular" trumpeters at Schoolhouse Pond and Oxbow Lake?

Thanks!
Nancy Magnusson
Ellicott City, MD