ML357328381
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Adult, Unknown sex - 1
- Behaviors
- Flying
- Sounds
- Flight call
- Playback
- Not specified
Observation details
Continuing individual, and first state record pending the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (MOURC); discovered the evening of 30 May 2021 by the Hosch brothers, and recorded by many since that time. I arrived at the Paul Hugo Farms Wildlife Management Area (WMA) just prior to 7pm, and remained until 8:58pm for a total of 2hrs —more or less— onsite. At approximately 7:07pm, following my arrival to the end of the dock overlooking the marsh, this bird began calling —a series of loud, desolate wailing cries/screams; high-pitched overall with a somewhat raspy quality, and delivered with haunting clarity “krrEEEEaaow krrEEEEaaow krrEEEEaaow.” Upon turning towards the sound I immediately saw the bird in flight, materializing from somewhere off to the NW, —at quite some distance originally— and flying S some 1-2m above the cattails. I followed the bird as it flew in across the marsh, and descended into the cattails on the far side out of view, some 200m thereabouts nearly strait W of the dock. There it remained for a prolonged period of time —30-40min— occasionally delivering a sequence of its idiosyncratic calls, often in follow up to a chorus of Sandhill Cranes intermittently calling from the marsh nearby. At roughly 7:45pm this bird took to the air again, flying across the water to the E and disembarking into the trees on the E side of the marsh, some 100-120m N and slightly E of the dock. Once again this bird lingered out of view due to the dense foliage, and remained inactive for another 20-30min. 8:14pm rolled around, and for the third time I observed this bird in flight, —each instance was concurrent with a succession of cries, this one recorded [see attached audio]. I watched as the Limpkin proceeded back to the W side of the wetland, alighting at the edge of the cattails perhaps 150m to the SW, this time in plain view. I absorbed the moment as the bird spent all but 5min preening before an outburst of Sandhill Cranes subsequently sent it airborne once more at 8:19pm. I presumed it would fly back into the cattails somewhere along the far W edge, where it seems to expend most of its time, and also where the Sandhills’ were emanating from. Rather, it proceeded to fly directly at me —shrieking as it flew, [recorded, see attached audio]. I figured perhaps it would loop around right in front of me before beelining its way back to the far W side. However, this is not what happened. Instead this individual fulfilled my wildest dreams; flying almost directly overhead and touching down in the only deciduous tree in sight with a majority of its limbs bare and void of foliage, some 10m N of the path directly behind the dock! For 30min I observed in astonished bliss as the bird, though wary of my presence, preened and occasionally skulked through the exposed branches seemingly unperturbed. Unfortunately my DSLR took a dive a few weeks ago, negating my ability to acquire high quality photos. Nonetheless, given its proximity and my unobscured line of sight I was able to capture multiple short videos with my iPhone. At 8:53pm it once again absconded, retreating back across the marshland to the W and vanishing among the cattails. At this point I counted my blessing and took my leave —feeling rather satisfied I might add! APPEARANCE A sizable wading bird, smaller than a Great Blue Heron or Great Egret, but larger than what I’d expect to see in an Ibis —though structurally somewhat similar to an Ibis. It pertained a stocky body, with long legs, a long neck, and a long, stout, marginally decurved bill —the latter [bill] appearing evenly in diameter from gape to tip unlike the tapered bill of most Herons and Egrets; also much heftier and straiter than on an Ibis. Presumably an adult. Plumage consisted of an overall deep dark brown, uniform throughout —even in flight. Fine white streaks encompassed the head, and continued down the neck to the breast, —progressively becoming less dense, and more coarse in corresponding fashion the further down the neck— evolving into more like white splotches than streaks across the mantle, sides, and upper wings. Given the density of streaking on the head and neck, in turn presented this portion of the bird with a much paler appearing complexion than the rest of the body. The bill was two-toned; mostly a dull yellowish beginning, and brightest at its’ base, gradually becoming more of a mundane dusky color one-third from the tip, and darkest at the tip. The legs and feet were a dingy gray, darkest on the feet. The iris was dark. FLIGHT This bird engaged a rather unique flight style, of which I find difficult to compare to that of any other species I have seen; especially any other Herons, Egrets, or Ibis, and the like. The flight was rhythmic in each case observed, with a distinctive rapid, snappy upstroke, and a more deliberate downstroke; making this bird appear to hang in midair in a flaccid like fashion. In flight, the head and neck were held strait out from the body, with the legs trailing behind; unlike most Herons or Egrets I have seen —which coil their necks—, and appeared more synonymous with an Ibis in flight. It also gave the impression of being somewhat “hunch backed” when flying.
Additional species
Technical information
- Recorder
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 4.97 MB