RECORD #: 14-B-06 

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE 
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM 
SPECIES: 
Black-legged Kittiwake 
REPORTER: 
Robert Bond 

[2441 Evening Star Drive 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84124 
801-272-0104 

Box 203 
Coolin, Id 83821 
208-443-2960 

rgbond@earthlink.net] 

OTHER OBSERVERS:
Georgene Bond
DATE REPORT PREPARED:
This report May 28, 2006. Original report June of 200
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:
June 7, 2000
LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:
At our cabin on the south end of Priest Lake approximately 1 1/2 miles west of Coolin, Id
HABITAT:
Lake
CONDITIONS:
I am reporting this at this time by request and I can't remember the exact weather conditions at the time.


Visibility was excellent.
DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:
No, not at all
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:
Yes, during the observation



WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: 

National Geographic 
Peterson's 
DESCRIPTION: 
A solitary gull appeared off the end of our dock on the above date in mid morning. A scope view of the 

bird showed immediately that it was something unusual. It had a plain yellow bill. My initial impression 
was that it must be a Mew Gull but I knew it didn't look right. Then I could see the upper portion of the 
legs in the water and they were black. Then the bird flew a short distance on several occasions and I 
could see the black tipped wings with a sharp cutoff between the black and white. That field mark then 
was obvious while the bird was resting on the water. It was an adult in non-breeding plumage in spite of 
the date, with a fairly large gray spot on the head behind the eye. 

BEHAVIOR:
Bird was swimming and feeding on the surface of the water, presumably eating small insects. It would
periodically fly a short distance and then land again nearby. The bird was observed for about 2 hours


through binoculars and a spotting scope and was photographed. When it ultimately left it flew north and
was not seen again.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE


IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?


Identified at the time of observation. Field guides were used at the time as I had a long period of time to
observe it.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?
Black legs, wing pattern eliminated Mew Gull. All yellow bill eliminated most other species.
EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):
Have seen several hundred in Alaska. This was my first Black-legged Kittiwake in the lower 48.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:
See under my report of Upland Sandpiper dated May 28, 2006
WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?:
Photo