#: 72-B-07

Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Hoary Redpoll

Reporter: (include address, phone, e-mail)
Chuck Trost,
225 N. Lincoln,
Pocatello, ID 83204,
208-233-4538,
trostchuck@cableone.net

Other Observers: Marty Collar

Date Report Prepared: 3-7-04

Locality of Observation: Feeder at top of Juniper Hill Drive in the Elkhorn subdivision, south of Ketchum.

Habitat: Backyard feeder.

Conditions: Clear, cold, but light adequate. We stood about 50 ft from the feeder at the corner of the garage. Watched closely with 8.5X42 Svarowski bins and a 80mm kowa scope (20-60X).

Did you take notes…

the same day? __yes__________________

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?

later the same day? ___yes ____________

What guide or reference did you consult? Sibley’s Guide to Birds.

Description: (Trost’s): Almost a white throat, breast, belly, rump, and a gray-white back. The bill was tiny, shorter than it was high at the base. Not much red on the forehead, but a small patch, and we suspected it was a female. (Collar’s): The bird was very pale, with a plain breast and smaller red crown patch than a CORE. There was no streaking on the flanks and limited streaking on the breast, and only a few thin short lines on the sides of the upper breast. The tail coverts above and below were pure white, as was the rump. The bill was tiny. I believe this was about as obvious as a HORE can get, as all the characteristics were on the extreme side for this species.

Behavior: At feeder with CORE and both rosyfinches.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? We had been watching CORE for over an hour when this bird came in – we recognized this pale bird immediately.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? Much paler and with smaller bill than CORE in direct comparison.

Experience with this species: I have seen it many times in Alaska.

General experience birding: About 60+ years for Trost and 10 for Collar

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? No.