IBRC #72-B-11

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: House Wren - Winter Sighting
HOW MANY: 1

REPORTER: Cheryl Huizinga 15140 Christopher St. Caldwell, ID 83607 208-880-568
7 REPORTER EMAIL: bchuizinga@cableone.net
OTHER OBSERVERS: Rod Drewien Sue Norton Letty Percifield

DATE REPORT PREPARED: December 27, 2011
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: December 17, 2011

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Nachbar's property Plum Road, Canyon Co.
HABITAT: Riparian with water
CONDITIONS: Time was about 9:30 AM on a cold but bright morning during Nampa CBC. Each person saw the bird briefly with naked eye and then with 8x42 or 10x42 binocs. Bird was close within a few feet.

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's

DESCRIPTION: Small bird with tail cocked up and quick movements. Brownish in coloration. Chip notes were those of the House Wren which was the first thing to alert us to the presence of the bird.
BEHAVIOR: Behavior was of quick movemnets and staying low in the brush - probably because of the cold temps that morning.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? We all IDed the bird as a Wren (because of shape and cocked tail) and then as a House Wren because of coloration and the sounds it was making.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? Eliminated the Pacific Wren because of the color and the sounds. The sounds it was making was the same as ipod that was played. the bird also responded to the ipod calls.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): House Wren is common in the area during the spring and summer. All of us have seen numerous House Wrens.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: Rod Drewien is a retired Dr. of Wildlife Biology with an emphasis on waterfowl with 50 years of birding experience and other three are avid birders with each having several years of birding experience.

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