There have been a few questions about why or why not some species have not made "the list". There are a few reasons. One is that some birds are consider sub-species, rather than a separate species. Others are considered "vagrants", meaning that they sometimes show up in NA, but not at a frequency that they would be considered "from", North America. Another would be color morphs. Still others are protected from legal hunting, and would impossible to obtain legally, so they are left off the list for obvious reasons.
I'll explain a bit more...
Sub-species are birds that are close enough in appearance, nesting habits, habitat, feeding patterns, etc., that they are not technically classified as separate species. One prime example is the Common Eider. Common Eiders are broken up into several different sub-species. Some of those are American-Dresseri, Northern-Borealis, Euro-Mollissima, and Pacific-V Nigra. I believe there are even a few more, like Pharaohs(sp?), but I'll have to do some more research on that.
Another common example of a sub-species, that has brought some debate, is the Mexican Mallard, or Mexican Duck. I have to admit I don't know much about this duck, but when "the list" was being made it was debated some, and at the time it was decided that it was a sub-species and wouldn't be included. Another example would be the Tule Goose, a sub-species of the Greater White Front, or Speckle Belly.
There are far to many sub-species to include every one in the original scope of the project. The sheer enormity of that task, along with the constant, and ever changing classifications, makes that project a dream that will have to wait until this one is realized.
It was however decided early on in the planning phases of the project to include the Canada Goose sub-species, for the the reasons I have gone into detail about in previous posts.
"Vagrants", is a term that is used to describe waterfowl that is sometimes seen in NA, but don't come around enough to be technically considered from here. Most don't nest here, but even the ones that do, do so infrequently, that they are not common. A prime example is the Eurasian Widgeon. "Euro's" as they are called, are close relative of the American Widgeon, hence the name. Euro's, are sometimes found along the west coast, and in Alaska. Several have been taken in Washington, and they are regularly taken on Adak Island in Alaska. But again they are seen so infrequently, that they are not commonly considered a NA regular. Another example is the Masked Duck. A stiff tailed relative of our Ruddy Duck. They are sometimes found along the gulf coast and in Mexico. However they are considerably more abundant in South America.
Color morphs, are something that I definitely need to do some reading up on. What little I do know, led me to leave the Blue-phase Snow Goose off the list. Blue's or Eagle heads, as they are sometimes called are a genetic color variation of the more common white Snow Goose. While they are far from rare, they do not technically fall under the category of a separate species. However their is such a bird as a Blue-phase Ross. these diminutive birds are extremely rare. So rare that some believe they are actually hybridized with Snow Geese, and then crossed back with a ross goose for several generations, leaving the recessive gene intact, until it pops up, once in a great, great while. These little birds are a highly prized trophy among collectors.
Then there are the birds that are protected by the Federal Government. Among these are the Stellars and Spectacled Eiders, Emperor Geese and Trumpeter Swans. These birds have been deemed by the government to have populations that would not support regular harvest. However Emperor Geese have been making a comeback, that has sparked talk about possibly re-opening them to limit harvest. Most experts agree that the current population could support limited harvest. On the flip side though, most do not see a re-opening unless the population reaches a much higher level.
Another interesting story for hunters is the Trumpeter Swan. Protected by the government, they are illegal to harvest. But, they are to similar to be consistently identified on the wing, by the average hunter. This fact has made the possibility of an accidental harvest a reality in the state of Utah. To help prevent the accidental taking of Trumpeter Swans, Utah requires all swan hunting applicants to take a swan identification course. And they have instituted a sub-quota system, allowing that if 10 Trumpeter swans are taken during the season, the season will be immediately closed, for the remainder of that season. Currently it is believed that only a few Trumpeters have been taken over the entire history of the swan hunt in Utah. You won't get in trouble, but it is very, very discouraged, and could possibly spell the end of swan hunting in Utah.
Enough about why and why not we have chosen "the list" that we have. Now for the fun part...
Given the vast array of different waterfowl out there, hybrids, juvenile color variations, sub-species, etc. We have discussed, expanding the original collection once it's complete. So that being said, if anyone has any of the above described birds that they would like to donate, or any others of interest, we will accept those as well. I won't be publishing a list until the original collection is complete. But it never hurts to get a head start!
Later,
Kev
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