Rare Bird Report 40-B-08

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM


SPECIES:  


Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus


HOW MANY:


one gray morph juvenile


REPORTER:  


Keith E. Carlson
2018 14th St
Lewiston, ID  83501
208-746-7322




REPORTER EMAIL:  


kec201814@cableone.net


OTHER OBSERVERS:


Several members of Palouse Audubon and Canyon Birders inc,
Keith Carlson, Carole VandeVoorde, Rick Welle, Jerry Cebula, Sarah Walker and others


DATE REPORT PREPARED:  


10 December 2008


DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:  


6 December 2008


LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:


Bever Rd North of Mann Lake, Nez Perce county


HABITAT:


extensive wheat fields to North and West ,  Mann Lake 100+/- acre pond to South IBA has willow and food plots


CONDITIONS:


10-15 minutes 1130 AM
clear 45 deg, light breeze from West.
Bird on utility poles at distances of 75-150 yards.
Variety of binos and spotting scopes


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?:


Sibley
Nat Geo Complete Birds of North America
Smithsonian field Guide to the Birds of North America


DESCRIPTION:  


Large raptor perched atop major utility pole.
1st impression (naked eye) was Red-Tail w/ binos "not a red-tail" wrong breast markings.
2nd impression was "too big for a Prairie falcon"
wings much shorter than tail


BEHAVIOR:  


perched atop utility pole, flew to another pole, then flew far to North out of sight.


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


This was a relatively light colored bird and appeared much larger than Prairie Falcon.
We alerted all observers to watch for dark axcillaries(armpits) if it flew.  It had no dark axcillary patches.


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


Red-taiLed Hawk, right size, wrong color and markings on breast.  Definite falcon wing shape and speed when it flew.
Much larger than Prairie Falcon, indistinct "mustache" and did not have dark axcillaries.


EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):  


Have seen one Gyrfalcon before in same are several years ago
Carole VandeVoorde has seen several


GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:  


 esperienced birder and bird photgrapher


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


 Photo