IBRC #63-B-11

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: gyrfalcon
HOW MANY: one, suspect immature

REPORTER: Jack Oar 5691 N 2700W Howe, ID 83244 7673225
REPORTER EMAIL: jackoar@atcnet.net
OTHER OBSERVERS: NONE

DATE REPORT PREPARED: Nov. 29, 2011
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: Nov. 29, 2011

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: approximately 3 miles SE of my house on badger creek bar about 24 miles N of Howe and about 1 mile E in Butte Co.
HABITAT: sage steppe
CONDITIONS: about 10 seconds as it flew by. mostly cloudy 35 deg. light S wind. Dist. 200 m at first. Sun low to my right obscured by clouds. 10 power binos

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: No, not at all
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: No, not at all
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: NONE

DESCRIPTION: Falco rusticolus Large falcon,larger and darker than a prairie falcon. The breast appeared too dark to be an adult.
BEHAVIOR: I was driving S (sun to the W and diffused by clouds. The falcon appeared in front of me (about 200M) flying E and curving to the N. Immediately recognized it as a gyr, put binos and confirmed.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? I am very familiar with this species.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? Too dark for a prairie falcon, too big for a peregrine.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): I have studied them in Greenland, obs. them in AK, ID ( obs. more than 50 times since 1989), MT, IL, ND, SD and WI. I have trapped and banded them. I have bred them in captivity. As a falconer I have specialized in gyrs since 1966.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: Casual since 1952 raptor biologist

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