Wolf's Corner

Ring-necked Ducks are really misnamed. Even with the bird in hand, the ring around the neck is hard to see. They should be called “Ring-billed Ducks”, as they have a white ring around the bill. On females, the ring is present, but as not as prominent. These three males were found on Jensen Pond. Note the “white spur” at the “shoulder”.

A total of 78 avian species (plus 5 sp. & 1 hybrid) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the 3rd highest November among 28 years of records. November 1999 with only 40 species remains as the lowest November, while November 2022 with 82 species, is the highest. This total is 8 species less than last month and 6 more than November 2024.

Based on citations in the 3rd Edition of “The Birds of Story County, Iowa,” by Stephen J. Dinsmore and Hank Zaletel (2001), plus my personal updates to the records, the Wilson’s Snipe on the 27th represent a new extreme late Fall record (former record set on 23 November 2023 at AHHP). Other possible new extreme late Fall records include: 2 Chipping Sparrows on the 6th (5 Nov 1981 at Ames), LeConte’s Sparrow on the 8th (6 Nov 2006 at AHHP), and Yellow-rumped Warbler on the 23rd (9 Nov 2007 at AHHP).

Listed below, following the species’ names, are the date(s) of sighting(s), plus the occasional miscellaneous information regarding numbers, gender (♂=male, ♀=female), age (im=immature, ad=adult, y=yearling), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard, FY=front yard). The order follows the 66th Supplement (2025) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 25th Supplement to the 7th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

SNOW GOOSE: 21 (335)

ROSS’S GOOSE: 9 (1 ad w), 16-18 (1 ad w), 20 (1 ad w), 21 (4 ad w), 25 (1 ad w)

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 16 (6)

CACKLING GOOSE: 14 (BY 4)

CANADA GOOSE: 1 (90), 2 (108), 3 (233), 5 (61), 6 (9), 7 (348), 8 (160), 9 (202), 10 (69), 11 (5),

12 (40 + BY 8), 13 (65), 14 (15 + BY 105), 15 (459), 16 (367), 17 (354), 18 (315), 19 (413),

20 (155), 21 (357), 22 (295), 23 (152), 24 (267), 25 (404), 26 (206), 27 (236 + BY 28), 28 (701),

29 (BY – heard only), 30 (1231 + BY 128)

TRUMPETER SWAN: 28 (21 ad + 7 im), 30 (4 ad + 5 im + FY 21)

WOOD DUCK: 1 (1♂ + 1♀), 2 (5♂ + 11♀), 3 (1♂ + 1♀), 8 (2♂ + 1♀), 20 (2♂ + 2♀), 24 (3♂ + 2♀),

25 (4♂ + 4♀)

NORTHERN SHOVELER: 3 (2♂ + 3♀), 11 (15♂ + 8♀), 22 (11)

GADWALL: 2 (2♂ + 3♀), 3 (1♀), 5 (14), 6 (44), 7 (14), 8 (8♂ + 7♀), 13 (1♂), 15 (11), 18 (16), 19 (5♂ +

5♀), 20 (4♂ + 1♀), 21-22 (1♂), 23 (1♂ + 1♀), 24 (3♂ + 2♀), 25 (1♀), 30 (1♂ + 1♀)

AMERICAN WIGEON: 2 (1♀), 5 (1♂), 6 (1♂ + 2♀), 12 (1♀), 13 (1♂ + 2♀), 16 (1♀), 18 (2♂ + 2♀),

19 (2♂ + 3♀), 20 (2♂ + 2♀), 21 (1♂ + 1♀), 22 (1♂ + 2♀), 25 (1♀), 28 (1♀)

MALLARD: 1 (40), 2 (52), 3 (50), 5 (164), 6 (78), 7 (241), 8 (72), 9 (85), 10 (34♂ + 18♀), 11 (19♂ +

9♀), 12 (9♂ + 7♀), 13 (49♂ + 26♀), 15 (91+), 16 (34), 17 (70), 18 (155), 19 (145), 20 (130),

21 (124), 22 (128), 23 (98), 24 (147), 25 (134), 26 (36), 27 (51), 28 (335), 30 (479)

GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 1 (35), 3 (4♂ + 3♀), 5 (4♂ + 6♀), 7 (12), 8 (18♂ + 10♀), 13 (1♂), 15 (1♂),

16-17 (1♀), 18 (1♂ + 2♀), 19-20 (1♀), 23 (1♂), 24-25 (1♀)

CANVASBACK: 10 (1♂), 11 (1♂ + 2♀)

REDHEAD: 15 (1♂), 18 (2♂), 19-20 (1♂ + 1♀), 22 (2♂ + 1♀), 23 (1♂ + 1♀), 24-25 (2♂ + 1♀), 30 (1♂

+ 1♀)

RING-NECKED DUCK: 3 (2♂ + 1♀), 5 (1♂ + 1♀), 6 (2♂ + 1♀), 9-10 (3♂), 11 (8♂ + 1♀), 27 (2♂ + 1♀)

LESSER SCAUP: 8 (12♂ + 5♀), 11-12 (1♀), 27 (2♂)

BUFFLEHEAD: 3 (3♀), 9 (2♂ + 3♀), 10 (6), 28 (1♀), 30 (1♂)

HOODED MERGANSER: 3 (6♂ + 3♀), 5-6 (1♂ + 1♀), 28 (1♀)

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 28 (1♀)

RUDDY DUCK: 3 (8♀), 11 (2♂ + 4♀)

Duck sp.: 6 (18), 7 (3), 9 (3), 10 (48), 11 (28), 13 (2), 19 (2), 28 (3)

RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1 (10), 2 (3), 11 (2), 12 (1), 14 (1), 16 (9), 18 (1), 20 (1), 22 (2♀), 23 (1),

25 (1), 27-28 (1), 30 (2)

PIED-BILLED GREBE: 5 (2), 7 (5), 8 (2), 10 (5), 11 (4), 12-15 (2), 16 (1), 19-24 (1), 27-28 (1)

MOURNING DOVE: 2 (4), 3 (1), 6 (1), 8 (4), 10 (3), 11 (2), 13-15 (2), 17 (BY 4), 18 (BY 1), 20 (1),

29 (BY 1), 30 (3 + BY 1)

AMERICAN COOT: 18 (1)

KILLDEER: 1 (4), 2 (8), 3 (27), 5 (17), 6 (20), 7 (19), 10-11 (2), 12 (1), 13-14 (2), 16 (6), 17-18 (7),

19 (3), 20 (6), 21 (8), 22 (4), 23-24 (1)

WILSON’S SNIPE: 6-7 (1), 12-13 (2), 14-15 (1), 17 (1), 18-19 (2), 20-25 (1), 27 (1)

BONAPARTE’S GULL: 5 (1)

RING-BILLED GULL: 3 (1), 5-6 (1), 9 (5), 10 (10), 12 (9), 14 (1), 17 (3), 21 (2), 22-23 (1), 26 (3), 27 (9)

COMMON LOON: 13 (2), 14 (1)

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 5 (1), 6 (5), 17 (2)

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 11 (67), 15 (1)

GREAT BLUE HERON: 1-2 (2), 3 (3), 5 (3), 6-7 (2), 10 (1), 15 (1), 21-22 (1)

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 1 (1 im), 10 (1), 14 (1 ad), 17 (1 im), 22 (1 im), 30 (BY 1 im)

Accipitrine hawk sp.: 2 (1)

COOPER’S HAWK: 3 (1 ad + BY 1 im), 6 (1 ad), 11 (1 ad + 1 im), 14 (1 im), 17 (1 ad), 23 (BY 1 im)

BALD EAGLE: 5 (2 ad), 8 (1 ad), 9 (2 ad), 10 (1 im), 12 (1 im), 13 (1 ad), 15 (1 ad), 16 (2 ad), 17-18 (1

ad + 1 im), 21 (2 ad), 22 (1 ad), 24 (2 ad), 25 (1 ad), 26 (1 ad + 1 im), 27-28 (1 ad), 30 (1 ad)

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK: 14 (BY 1), 22 (1 im)

RED-TAILED HAWK: 2 (2), 3 (1), 10-11 (1), 14 (1), 16 (1 im)

BARRED OWL: 9-10 (1), 12 (1), 21 (BY 1)

BELTED KINGFISHER: 2 (2), 6 (1♀), 11 (1), 16 (1♂), 27-28 (1)

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 (1), 2-3 (2), 5 (1), 6 (2), 9 (1), 10 (3 + FY 1), 11 (2), 12-13 (1),

14 (BY 1♀), 15-16 (1), 17 (2), 18 (1), 20-23 (2), 24 (BY 1), 25 (2), 27 (BY 1♀), 28 (2)

DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1 (5), 2 (4), 3 (2♂ + 2♀), 5-6 (1), 7 (2), 8 (3), 9 (1), 10 (5♂ + 2♀), 11 (2),

12 (3), 13 (2 + BY 1♂), 15 (2), 16 (3♀), 17 (4♀), 18 (2), 19 (3 + BY 1♂), 20 (2♀), 21 (4), 22 (1),

23 (2), 24 (1♀), 25 (1♂ + 1♀), 26 (2♂ + 1♀), 30 (3)

HAIRY WOODPECKER: 10-11 (1♀), 17 (1♀), 19 (1♀), 30 (1♀)

NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 3 (3), 6 (3), 9 (1), 10 (2), 11-12 (1), 14 (1), 16 (3), 18 (3),

20 (2), 21 (1), 27-28 (1)

AMERICAN KESTREL: 22 (1)

Falcon sp.: 25-26 (1)

EASTERN PHOEBE: 1 (1)

BLUE JAY: 1 (1), 2 (5), 3 (3), 5 (2 + BY 1), 8 (3), 10 (2 + BY 1), 14 (2 + BY 1), 15 (3), 16 (2), 18 (1),

19 (3), 20 (BY 1), 23 (2), 27 (1), 30 (1)

AMERICAN CROW: 1 (11), 2 (10 + FY 1), 3 (5), 5 (6), 6 (3), 7 (5), 8 (16), 9 (1), 10 (4), 11 (11), 12 (5),

13 (7), 14 (4), 15 (7), 16 (8), 17 (5), 18 (5 + BY 1), 19 (8), 20 (5), 21 (8), 22 (3), 23 (4), 24 (5),

25-26 (6), 27 (2 + BY 3), 28 (4 + BY 1), 30 (7)

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1 (4), 2 (1), 3 (2), 5 (1), 10 (3 + BY 1), 12 (4), 13-14 (3 + BY 1), 15 (3),

16 (2), 17 (1 + BY 4), 18 (1), 19 (BY 3), 20 (3 + BY 2), 21 (4 + BY 2), 22 (3), 23 (1), 25 (1 + BY 1),

27 (3 + BY 2), 28 (3 + BY 1), 29-30 (BY 1)

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 15 (1), 22 (1)

CEDAR WAXWING: 2 (39), 3 (11), 5 (19), 6 (13), 7 (9), 8 (43), 9 (5), 10 (35), 11 (66), 12 (17), 13 (28),

14 (BY 5), 15 (8), 16 (25), 20 (24), 21 (2), 23 (34), 24-25 (12), 27 (4), 29 (BY 6), 30 (2)

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 6 (BY 1), 7 (1), 9-10 (1), 13 (BY 1), 15 (1), 16 (3), 17 (2), 18 (3),

20-23 (1), 24 (BY 1), 25-26 (1), 27 (1 + BY 1), 28 (1 + FY 1)

EUROPEAN STARLING: 1 (155 + FY 186), 2 (25), 3 (13), 5 (67), 6 (19), 7 (44), 8 (61), 9 (180),

10 (19), 11 (20), 12 (17), 13 (19), 14 (18 + FY 6), 15 (39), 16 (18), 17 (34), 18 (74), 19 (7), 20 (90),

21 (465), 22 (32), 23 (105), 24 (143 + FY 3), 25 (20), 26 (124), 27 (11), 28 (13), 29 (FY 9), 30 (240)

EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 3 (7), 6 (1), 7 (8), 10-11 (4), 12 (5), 13 (6), 14 (2), 16 (7), 17 (9), 18 (6), 20 (3),

21 (9), 22 (1), 23 (5), 25 (4), 28 (4)

HERMIT THRUSH: 9 (1), 14 (1)

AMERICAN ROBIN: 1 (22), 2 (12), 3 (24), 5 (11), 6 (12), 7 (7), 8 (6), 9 (2), 10 (26 + FY 1), 11 (21),

12 (7), 13 (17), 14 (2 + BY 4), 15 (6), 16 (13), 17 (5), 18 (9), 19 (1), 20 (16), 21 (17), 22 (6), 23 (8),

24 (23 + BY 1), 25 (12), 26 (13), 27 (11), 30 (12 + BY 12)

HOUSE SPARROW: 1 (8), 2 (4 + FY 8), 3 (3), 5 (18), 6 (12 + BY 1), 7 (33), 8 (31), 9 (16), 10 (30),

11 (12 + BY 1), 12 (21 + BY 1), 13 (5 + BY 2), 14 (15 + BY 7), 15 (14 + BY 1), 16 (38), 17 (19),

18 (35), 19 (42 + BY 1), 20 (61 + BY 4), 21 (17 + BY 3), 22 (8 + BY 2), 23 (19), 24 (21 + BY 8),

25 (36 + BY 2), 26 (42 + BY 1), 27 (4 + BY 5), 28 (34 + BY 2), 29 (BY 16), 30 (79 + BY 5)

House X Eurasian Tree Sparrow: 8 (1♂), 18 (1♂)

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW: 30 (1)

HOUSE FINCH: 1 (2), 2 (4), 3 (6), 5 (14), 6 (5), 7 (6), 8 (2), 9 (19), 10 (34), 11 (4 + BY 3), 12 (12 + BY

2), 13 (3 + BY 1), 14 (4 + BY 2), 15 (2), 16 (14), 17 (21), 18 (31 + BY 2), 19 (22 + BY 2), 20 (27 +

BY 2), 21 (23 + BY 4), 22 (7 + BY 3), 23 (12), 24 (10 + BY 2), 25 (53 + BY 53 + BY 1), 26 (37 + BY

2), 27 (BY 6), 28 (34 + BY 4), 29 (BY 5), 30 (25 + BY 6)

PURPLE FINCH: 13 (1♂), 16 (1♀)

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1 (3), 2 (5), 3 (1), 5 (4), 6 (5), 7 (4), 8 (3), 10 (3), 11 (2), 13 (5), 14 (2),

16 (7), 17 (3), 18 (2), 19 (10), 20 (3), 21 (2 + BY 1), 22 (1), 23 (3), 24 (9), 25 (4 + BY 2), 26 (1),

27 (2 + BY 2), 28 (3), 30 (2)

CHIPPING SPARROW: 6 (2)

FIELD SPARROW: 2-3 (1)

FOX SPARROW: 1 (1), 2 (3), 3 (4), 8 (5), 14 (1), 17 (1), 20 (1)

AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1 (16), 2 (22), 3 (25), 5 (24), 6 (20), 7 (14), 8 (4), 9 (24), 10 (53),

11 (43), 12 (24), 13 (23), 14 (8), 15 (15), 16 (34), 17 (11), 18 (21), 19 (27), 20 (33), 21 (15), 22 (11),

23 (30), 24 (25), 25 (17), 26 (32), 27 (8), 28 (35)

DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1 (35 + BY1), 2 (22), 3 (20), 5 (15 + BY 2), 6 (37 + BY 6), 7 (52),

8 (29), 9 (20), 10 (25 + BY 4), 11 (16 + BY 12), 12 (31 + BY 7), 13 (25 + BY 5), 14 (13 + BY/FY 5),

15 (9 + BY 1), 16 (15 + BY 1), 17 (18 + BY 1), 18 (34 + BY 3), 19 (39 + BY 2), 20 (26 + BY 1),

21 (34 + BY 3), 22 (12 + BY 2), 23 (42 + BY 1), 24 (14 + BY 2), 25 (25 + BY 2), 26 (11 + BY 6),

27 (5 + BY 5), 28 (33 + BY 4), 29 (BY 9), 30 (15 + BY 5)

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 1 (3), 2-3 (6), 6 (3), 7 (1), 8 (5), 9 (1), 10 (2), 11-13 (1), 17 (1), 25 (1)

HARRIS’S SPARROW: 1 (3), 3 (1), 6 (1), 8 (3), 9-11 (1), 15 (1), 19 (1)

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 1-2 (4), 3 (9), 6 (8), 7 (2), 8 (3), 9 (2), 10 (3), 11 (9 + BY 1), 12 (4),

13 (1), 14 (3 + BY 1), 16 (9), 17 (3), 20 (2), 21 (4), 22 (5), 23 (3), 24 (2), 27 (2)

LECONTE’S SPARROW: 8 (1)

SONG SPARROW: 1 (4), 2 (8), 3 (15), 5 (1), 7 (4), 8-10 (1), 14 (3), 15-16 (1), 21 (3), 27-28 (1)

LINCOLN’S SPARROW: 3 (1)

SWAMP SPARROW: 3 (1), 7 (1)

Sparrow sp.: 1 (5), 2 (11), 3 (6), 5 (12), 6 (6), 7 (8), 9 (4), 11 (1), 13 (8), 14 (2), 15 (5), 16 (1), 18 (8),

19 (3), 22 (3)

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1 (31), 2 (48), 3 (93), 5 (77), 6 (32), 7 (9), 8 (20), 9 (8), 10 (63), 11 (35),

12 (9 + BY 8), 13 (44), 14 (11), 15 (27), 16 (4), 18 (10), 19 (7), 21 (23), 22 (1), 23 (2)

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD: 2 (9♂), 3 (13♂ + 4♀)

RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 1 (3), 2 (12), 3 (1), 5 (3), 7 (1), 12 (1), 27 (9)

COMMON GRACKLE: 8 (2)

Blackbird sp.: 1 (123), 2 (48), 3 (43)

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 2 (3), 3 (2), 12 (1), 14 (1), 23 (1)

NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1 (BY 1♂), 2 (1 + BY 1♀), 6 (2 + BY 1♂), 8 (1♂), 9 (BY 1♀), 10 (2♂ + 1♀ +

BY 1♂ + 1♀), 12-13 (BY 1♂), 14 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 16 (3♀), 18 (BY 1♂ + 2♀), 19 (BY 1♂), 20 (1♂ +

1♀ + BY 1♂ + 1♀), 21 (1♂ + BY 1 + 1♀), 22 (BY 1♂), 23 (1♂), 24 (2♂), 25 (1♂ + BY 1♀),

26-27 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 28 (BY 1♀), 29 (BY 1♂ + 1♀), 30 (1♂ + BY 1♂ + 1♀)

MAMMALIAN

VIRGINIA OPOSSUM: 10 (BY 1), 21 (1), 23 (BY 1)

EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 3-4, 6-9, 11, 14-15, 17-19, 23-24, 28-30

THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 16 (1)

EASTERN FOX SQUIRREL: 1-2, 5-30

AMERICAN BEAVER: 16 (1)

COMMON MUSKRAT: 16 (1), 21 (1)

RED FOX: 18 (1)

NORTHERN RACCOON: 11-12 (BY 1), 13 (BY 2), 14-15 (BY 1), 16-17 (BY 2), 18 (BY 1), 19 (BY 1),

20 (BY 1), 21 (BY 1), 24 (BY 1), 26-27 (BY 1)

AMERICAN MINK: 17 (1)

NORTHERN RIVER OTTER: 6 (1), 8 (2), 14 (2), 16 (1), 25 (1)

WHITE-TAILED DEER: 1 (1♂ + BY 2♀), 2 (BY 1♀), 3 (2♂ + 7♀ + 2 y), 4 (BY 1♀), 5 (1♂ + BY 1♂ + 1♀

+ 1 y), 6 (1♂ + 4♀ + 2 y + BY 1♂ + 2♀ + 1 y), 7 (BY 1♀ + 1 y), 8 (3♀ + 1 y + BY 1♂ + 2♀ + 1),

9 (1), 10 (1♂ + BY 1♂ + 2♀ + 1 y), 11 (2♂ + 1♀ + 2 y + BY 2♂ + 2♀), 12 (2♂ + 4♀ + 3 y + BY 1♀),

13 (1♂ + 4♀ + 2 y + BY 1♂ + 2♀ + 1 y), 14 (BY 1♀ + 1 y), 15 (3♂ + 8♀), 16 (4♀ + BY 1♂ + 2♀ + 1

y), 17 (BY 1♂ + 1♀ + 2 y), 18 (1♂ + 2♀ + 1 y + BY 2♂ + 2♀ + 2 y), 19 (2♀ + 1 y + BY 1♂ + 1♀ + 2

y), 20 (1♂ + BY 1♂ + 1♀ + 1 y), 21 (1♀), 22 (1♂ + 1♀ + BY 1♀ + 1 y), 23 (BY 2♀ + 1 y), 24 (2♂ +

BY 1♀), 26 (1♀ + 2 y + BY 2♀ + 1 y), 27 (2♀ + 2 y + BY 1♀ + 2 y), 28 (5♀ + 2 y + BY 4), 29 (BY

Wolf's Corner

Links to previous reports