IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Eastern Phoebe

REPORTER:

Jay Carlisle

OTHER OBSERVERS:

none

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

6/11/06

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

6/10/06

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

Blaine County, along Muldoon Creek, near the small settlement of Muldooon

GPS coordinates for the point count (about 100m east of the bridge) are as follows:

UTM: 12T 263796 4826944

Lat/Long: 43 33.483,113 55.467

HABITAT:

riparian habitat with human structures (bridge, corral) nearby

CONDITIONS:

calm & clear

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:

No, not at all

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:

Yes, later the same day

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

Sibley and National Geographic

DESCRIPTION:

A flycatcher (larger than Empidonax and slightly larger than pewees) with a dark brown back and head and whitish underparts.

BEHAVIOR:

I first heard the bird singing during a standardized point count survey (at 757 AM) - the bird was at a distance of about 100m and it sang throughout the 5-minute count period. The song was a repeated 2-note "fee-bee fee-bee ...." with the first note slightly rising and the 2nd note slightly dropping in tone. After finishing the count, I drove to the bridge where the bird was singing from and continued to hear the bird sing. I soon located the bird in an aspen tree near the bridge and saw the bird actively pumping its tail. I then left to finish out my surveys and returned at about 1125 to observe the area. The bird flushed off of a wooden platform (old bridge?) adjacent to the bridge as I approached. I then stayed in the area for about 20 minutes and heard the bird sing several times at about 1135 but during most of this 20-minute period, I did not see/hear the bird.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?

Immediately after hearing the song. Seeing the bird (plumage, size, shape, and tail-pumping) was further confirmation.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?

During the same morning, I also observed several other flycatcher species - including Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-pewee, Dusky Flycatcher, and Eastern Kingbird. There was a pewee in the same general area as the phoebe. The phoebe differs in voice and plumage details. Specifically, the upperside plumage is darker brown than the first three species mentioned above and paler than that of the Eastern Kingbird (which also has a white tail tip).

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

I grew up in Connecticut where this is a very common and familiar species - I have seen hundreds. Most recently, I saw an Eastern Phoebe at Mud Lake WMA in April of 2006 (discovered by Mike Haldemann) and, for the last 6 years I was living in SD where I saw phoebes each year.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

I have birded about 16 years and consider myself an advanced birder.

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

None