As a birder who's also been raising ducks on and off since the late 90's, I can add my two cents to this saga. The Tufted Duck would be a specialty item, likely acquired via auction. Also, anyone who owns such a specimen would likely clip its wings. One isn't going to purchase a Tufted Duck without recognizing its significance.
MN poultry enthusiasts generally order their chicks from these hatcheries: Hoover (IA), Murray's, (IA), Welp (IA), Stromberg (MN). None of these suppliers are currently offering Tufted Ducks. I, for one, would never clip a claw from a bird to prove it's mine. I'd imagine pretty much every hobbyist would feel the same way. If anyone is keeping a Tufted Duck, they're keeping it as a pet. Farmers hurt their animals. Pet-owners do not. I'd lay 95% odds its a wild Tufted Duck. Jason Frank Lac qui Parle On 1/7/18, Alyssa DeRubeis <[email protected]> wrote: > For those who aren’t on eBird or Facebook, John Zakelj photographed a Tufted > Duck today (Jan 7) at Colvill Park in Goodhue Co. > > So far its origin (i.e. wild or captive) has not been determined. If it is > from a farm—and yes, there are farms in Minnesota that have Tufted Ducks—it > is required by the US Fish and Wildlife Service that there is some marking > on it that identifies it as not wild. Some websites I found mentioned rear > toe clipping as a requirement but I couldn’t find an official/government > website with that stated specifically. > > Anyway, hopefully someone more knowledgeable on captive waterfowl than me > can contribute. All I did was a quick Google search. And FYI—the two other > Tufted Duck records for the state (1976 and 2000) were unaccepted, probably > due to questionable origin. For those trying for it, take photos, especially > if it is standing with its feet visible. > > Good birding! > > Alyssa DeRubeis > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > -- Jason M. Frank Founder and Vice President, Luddite Ornithologists League (LOL) High Priest & Highly Reluctant Treasurer, Alleged Order of the Nettle & the Toad "The Universe does not have laws. It has habits. And habits can be broken." -Dr. Wiggs Dannyboy Sent from my invisible blue Homing Pigeon ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
