This is going to be an interesting bird for the TN-BRC, especially considering that it is a potential first North American record (and no matter which way we vote there will be a chorus of people objecting to our decision!). So if we vote to accept it, it then goes right to the ABA Checklist Committee. I think it is safe to say that we will want a lot of background and supporting information on the numbers and whereabouts of captives, if there is any black market/ unbanded/unregulated trade, are their any other vagrant records in the Old World other than the few I found already (Kazakhstan, India), etc. Anyone who has actual firm information about these things or anything else that could pertain to this bird's wildness would be very appreciated!
I also think it is safe to say that this process is likely to take some time.
As I have said before, I personally have to agree that the burden is on demonstrating wildness beyond a reasonable doubt, not vice versa. But I don't think that is necessarily an impossible task.
Bill Pulliam Hohenwald TN
On Dec 18, 2011, at 6:34 PM, Richard Knight wrote: The following was posted to the Carolinabirds listserv concerning the Hooded Crane at Hiwassee. I think the position is well stated. Rick Knight Johnson City, TN ----- Original Message ----- Subject: RE: Hooded Crane in TNRegrettably, the idea of "presumed wild until proven otherwise" is backwards. When rare birds show up and there is legitimate reason to expect a non-native origin, the burden of proof is on those promoting a wild origin status; not on records committees to disprove it.Clearly this is troublesome to anyone who goes to great lengths to see such a bird but the reality is that this is a species that breeds in southern Siberian/Mongolia and winters in southern Japan (80% of the population at Izumi). For this species to reach North America on its own, it would have to migrate northeast, (rather than southeast) to the Kuriles or Kamchatka, then about cross 2000 miles of open Pacific to reach the Aleutians, then track thousands of miles east and south to Nebraska, then Tennessee. I'm afraid, this seems a really tall order. Cranes, by virtue of their size and grandeur, are commonly kept in captivity. Logic alone should fill in the rest. And yes, we do get Siberian species on our side of the "pond" (I've been to Attu and Gambel - twice) but they're generally species that breed farther north than Hooded Crane and/or are species that normally make long flights across open water. The theory that this bird came over with Siberian Sandhills would presume that this individual bird reverse migrated to where this tiny population of Siberian Sandhills was before they migrated - and subsequently sought out different Sandhill populations (rather than staying with the original group) as it winged its way thousands of miles across North America. I think the greater probability is that it escaped from somewhere in this country.Mike Tove Cary, NC
