IBRC 50-B-09
Idaho
Bird Records Committee
Rarities Report Form
Species: Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
Reporter: (include address, phone, e-mail):
Doug Schonewald
1535 S Skyline Dr.
Moses Lake, WA 98837
Other Observers: Barb schonewald
Date Report Prepared: 17 August, 2009
Date Sighting Occurred: 24 July, 2009
Locality of Observation: Powderhorn Bay Road, Kootenai County, ID (Latilong 2)
Habitat: Mixed pine/fir/larch forest with summer residences built along the lakeshore.
Conditions: Weather conditions were ideal with clear skies and
warm temperatures
Did you take notes…
during the observation? _____NA_______
after the observation? _______NA_____
the same day? _____________ NA______
another day?_______________NA_______
not at all? _________________ NA____
Did you consult a field
guide or other reference work?
during the observation?____NA________
later the same day? _______ NA________
another day? _____________NA________
not at all? ________________NA________
What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult? Identification of North American Birds – Peter Pyle, this was done in an effort to determine subspecies and age of observed birds.
Description: Most birds observed were HY/SY birds. This was determined after consulting Pyle’s ID of NA Birds and based on the barring on the alula and primary coverts, or lack thereof. There was at least one AHY/ASY bird observed and photographed and another observed but not photographed. Birds were primarily blue with black barring on the upper parts and tail, while the underparts were pale whitish to pale gray (though this may have been an artifact of the early morning shade within and under the trees complicated by the bathing in wet grass and lawn sprinkler). White was most evident on the undertail coverts, while breasts on all birds appeared to be a pale gray, several shades darker on what I ascertained to be HY/SY birds. Tail had the outer corners bright white especially evident in flight. This feature was much more evident in AHY/ASY birds, but was a feature noted in all age groups. Both secondaries and secondary coverts were white tipped on all birds, but most evident in the AHY/ASY adult birds. A dark band looped from under the blue crest to the upper breast/lower throat and back again encircling the pale face. HY/SY birds had a larger amount of dark in the face but in all birds the lores were dark. In HY/SY birds the black often appeared as a dark eye-line and there was a dark ring around the eye, leaving one with the impression that the birds had a white supercillium. The bills were dark and the legs were dark.
Behavior: actively feeding in cherry trees and bathing in lawn sprinklers. Birds seemed to disappear in the late morning after feeding for several hours in the cherry trees. They usually reappeared in the late afternoon and again fed in the cherry trees. Discussions with homeowners note that Blue Jays have been in the area for at least 4-years and are extremely fond of peanuts. Several locals have been feeding them peanuts for some time.
How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you?: I heard the birds calling as they fed in the cherry trees long before I actually saw them. After I went inside and got my binoculars and camera I was able to see the Blue Jays (there were at least 7 and possibly as many as 9). When I saw them there was little doubt of the ID these birds are fairly distinctive. The race appears to be the western race of Blue Jay, possibly C.c. cyanotephera based on the paleness of the blue upperparts and the extensive white on the tertials of birds thought to be HY/SY. Of this I am uncertain as I have exerted little effort in the past to research or determine sub-species status in birding and do not feel confident in the subspecific ID. I also lack field experience with this species having only observed them about 15 or 20 time in the past and most of these were likely the eastern variety.
How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? Some concern existed that these might be hybrids of Steller’s Jay x Blue Jay. However, they seemed to stay separate and the Steller’s Jay pair that was present had 2 juveniles that showed not signs of hybridization.
Experience with this species (and similar species): I’ve observed Blue Jays 15-20 times in the past, mostly in E Montana, North & South Dakota, and in Canada
General birding experience: I’ve been birding for about 20-30 years, seriously for about 15 years.
Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach): see below (click on the embedded files to open photos)
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