IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

Rare Bird Report #: 26-B-07

SPECIES: Eastern Phoebe

HOW MANY: one

REPORTER: Poo Wright-Pulliam
po box 581
Sun Valley, ID 83353
208-788-3903

REPORTER EMAIL: pwpart@msn.com

OTHER OBSERVERS: Jean Seymore she will fill out her own info and provide photos that she took

DATE REPORT PREPARED: 4/17/2007

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: 4/16/2007

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Blaine County, 6 1/2 miles south of Carey, 2/10th mile past mm198, turn east on Durfee road,go 1/2 mile and turn south on dirt road. the bird was seen about 2/10th of a mile further (just past the row of junipers) hawking from the fence on both sides of the road

HABITAT: sage brush fields and farm land

CONDITIONS: we watched the bird for about 15 minutes,it was sunny out with a good wind about 50 degrees. My binos are Brunton 7.5x43. 4:30 pm with the sun to our right. distance was at first about 100ft (I'm not a good judge) but eventually it land on the fence wire right next to the car!

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 Geo. birds of north America and Sibley's guide to Western N America

DESCRIPTION: Tyrannidae. hawkin from fence post taking insects from the ground. All black beak, large head with flat forhead. White under chin and belly with light gray sides, pale wingbars, gray above. when the light was just right it had a cinnamon cast to the top of the head

BEHAVIOR: It was wagging tail up and down (although it was windy, the movement was downward,then up, it would fly to the ground for an insect then back to the fence. No vacalization. The all black beak, white underside and dark gray back, pale wingbars was different than empids; white under chin not like black phoebe and no rufous on sides like Say's phoebe. No other birds around

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? Positively identied on site, the all black, phoebe like bill and white undersides was the clincher. secondly, head shape and tail wagging.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? The all black beak, white underside and dark gray back, pale wingbars was different than empids; white under chin not like black phoebe and no rufous on sides like Say's phoebe.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): Lifer!

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: I've been an addict for 12 years now. I believe I'm very good at proper identification.

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: Photo by Jean Seymour