IBRC 7-B-12

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: Clark's Grebe
HOW MANY: 1

REPORTER: Dale Toweill, Ph.D. 12298 W. Bowmont Street Boise, Idaho 83713
REPORTER EMAIL: dtoweill@gmail.com
OTHER OBSERVERS: Dale Toweill; my wife Dee was with me and also saw the bird.

DATE REPORT PREPARED: January 14, 2012
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: January 14, 2012

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Cove Day Use Recreation site, south side of CJ Strike Reservoir approx. 1.5 miles above dam and west of the Narrows.
HABITAT: Small cove off main reservoir; bird swam into main reservoir.
CONDITIONS: Scattered clouds, slight wind adding chop to the water; bird was approximately 30 yeards distant when first observed through Bushell 45x spotting scope.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: Yes, during the observation
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: Yes, during the observation
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: National Geographic Filed Guide to the Birds of Western north America revised and Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America

DESCRIPTION: Grebe. White chin, throat, breat; black cap, black back of neck and back. Eye well within white band, unlike Western Grebe.
BEHAVIOR: Single black-and-white Grebe in cove along with ~20 American Coots and a single Pied-bill Grebe. This Grebe was near the entrance to the cove, and swam out into the reservoir as I attempted to get closer for a photo.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? I checked the position of the eye relative to the black cap, expecting to see the black cap surrounding the eye. Instead I saw the eye completely surrounded by white feathers.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? Western Grebe- Almost identical except for the extent of the black cap. There was a band of white feathers extending from the base of the bill above the eye.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): I obtained a B.S. degree in Willdife Management at Oregon State University, and spent most of the last 42 years birding in the Pacific Northwest, including getting a Ph.D. in Wildlife (also at Oregon State). I have seen thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of Western Grebes during my 42 years as a professional wildlife biologist.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: Birding for 42 years, mostly in the Pacific Northwest but also through North America, Africa (12 countries), South America (2 countries), Europe (7 countries) and Australia. Spend the last 28 years as professional wildlife biologist with Idaho Fish and Game.

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: None