Inca Doves

[Scott M]

Anybody get a look-see or a photo of this?

Tim Harlow, Star Tribune

A bird that primarily resides in the warm and temperate climates of the American south and southwest and into Mexico has turned up in a most unusual place: The chilly shore of Lake Superior.

A Two Harbors man spotted the Inca dove in his neighborhood in late October, marking the first time the bird which features a gray-brown body covered in feathers that resemble a scaled pattern, black bill and shades of orange on its wings, had been seen in Minnesota.

Its sighting has attracted avid birders and the curious from all over, said Kim Eckert, a member of the Minnesota Ornithologist’s Union, a birding club.

“When I first heard about it, I drove up there that afternoon,” said Eckert, who lives in Duluth and didn’t want to miss seeing the bird. “You never know, it could be gone the next day. It’s impossible to tell how long it will stay.”

If the bird can survive the cold northeastern Minnesota weather, perhaps it will stay for a while. The bird has received a warm welcome from residents in the town of about 3,600 people.

“People on the block have put food out for it,” said Eckert. “I guess in a way they’ve adopted it.”

Eckert said it’s not clear how the dove got to Two Harbors, but the birds occasionally wander far out of range during the fall migration. Eckert said he isn’t surprised that the state’s first Inca dove turned up there.

“It’s one of the best places for rarities to show up,” Eckert said. The lake “is a natural barrier for things wandering around or that get lost in migration. It’s kind of a natural barrier for species coming from the west.”

Inca doves have been spotted in other Midwestern states in recent years, including Kansas, Colorado and Iowa, a member of the Minnesota Ornithologist’s Union said.

[Jim Almquist]

I was up in Two Harbors today with my camera but did not see it. The wife of the person who was the 1st spotter is in a book club with my wife so I knew what house to look for but did not have a lot of time to really search out neighborhood. I will try spot it next Monday when I have another job up there and will try to find out if it is still hanging around.