Voting Comments

Voting Comments

Record #: 5-A-07

Brown Pelican

1st Round: 0-7
NOT ACCEPT

1^st Round
(0 Accept, 7 Reject)

010-01-2007.
Sturts -- Reject, specific identification not established

For a first state record there would need to be more details in the description of this bird. What field marks were seen that put it in the Pelican family? Similar species were not eliminated. For example large wing span and tucked in head while flying also matches the Great Blue Heron.

10/4/2007.
Cliff Weisse -- Reject, specific identification not established

There isn't enough detail in the description to confirm the identification of Brown Pelican.

010-05-2007.
Dave Trochlell -- Reject, specific identification not established

I rejected this record because the bird was not described. It would be tempting to suggest that these folks may have mistaken a flyby Double-crested Cormorant for a Brown Pelican, since cormorants would be expected flying over Indian Creek...but then these folks do have experience with Brown Pelicans on the Pacific Coast. And as strange as it may seem, this may not be the first southwest Idaho report of this coastal species; I've heard that an immature Brown Pelican was reported (and allegedly photographed) over the Boise River many years ago. Attempts to obtain documentation on that report were unsuccesful, as I understand it. Should we contact the Simpsons and ask them to provide us with a description of this bird?

010-06-2007.
chuck trost -- Reject, specific identification not established

Not an adequate description. Perhaps it was a juvenile white pelican in poor light.

10/8/2007.
Charles Swift -- Reject, specific identification not established

The description is not sufficient in that it doesn't really describe the bird and doesn't eliminate other large birds that tuck their heads back such as Great Blue Heron.

18 October 2007.
Hardy -- Reject, specific identification not established

An interesting report, but unfortunately lacking in description that would allow it to be considered for a first state record.

10-28-2007.
Carlisle -- Reject, specific identification not established

The observers may well have seen a Brown Pelican but there are no fieldmarks listed in the report that separate the bird they saw from Am White Pelican (or other large waterbirds for that matter).