RARE BIRD REPORT #: 34-B-07

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Hudsonian Godwit

HOW MANY:

1

REPORTER:

Cliff Weisse
4125 Beaver Springs Rd.
Island Park, ID 83429
208-558-7789

REPORTER EMAIL:

cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

5/15/2007

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

5/15/2007

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

At the mouth of Sheridan Creek on Island Park Reservoir, near Island Park, Fremont County.

HABITAT:

Mud bar on reservoir with some vegetation growing on it

CONDITIONS:

I observed the bird on and off for about one hour. distance ranged from 1/2 mile to about 40 yards with Nikon Premier LX 10 x 42 binocs and Swarovski 80mm HD spotting scope with 20-60x eyepiece. Sun was behind observer and low in the sky (about 6:30 to 7:30 pm) most of the time but the bird flew around for a whilie when first observed and the light was pretty bad at times. Temperature about 60 degrees, very little wind. Prior weather high pressure for at least three days, some windy but no precip.

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?:

Sibley Guide to Birds of North america, aka "Big Sibley". I called my wife and she checked which species had black underwing coverts for me using The Shorebird Guide, Karlson, O'Brien, and Crossley.

DESCRIPTION:

Shorebird noticably smaller than Willet and larger than Black-bellied Plover in direct comparison. Long, bicolored, upturned bill with orange base and black tip. Upperparts mostly gray with a few scattered black feathers on the mantle. Rump white. Tail black with white edges. Underparts white with extensive chestnut colored barring on flanks and breast, becoming blotchy on flanks. Undertail coverts whitish with a few chestnut blotches. Legs black.

In flight appeared dark overall with contrasting white rump and black tail. Underwing coverts black. Wings showed obviousl white stripe at base of primaries visible from above and below.

BEHAVIOR:

Foraged by probing in mud where vegetation was growing. There were no mud flats that didn't have vegetation growing on them due to high reservoir level. The bird was first seen in flight. It flew up the shoreline for about 1/2 mile, circled back and flew past at about 50 yards, flew away form the shoreline and landed on a small pond in a dammed canal. I was looking at other shorebirds about five minutes later when it landed in the field of view of my scope. It then foraged for the duration of the observation. It preened for a very brief period, almost as if it had an itch it needed to scratch.

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

The black tail with whitet rump on a dark shorebird immediately struck me as a Hudsonian/Black-tailed Godwit. While waching the bird fly away I saw it turn enough to reveal the long upturned bill. When I finally saw the black underwing coverts I knew I had the ID nailed down, although I wasn't positive which species until I called my wife to confirm that it was a Hudsonian Godwit.

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

The only shorebirds that have long upturned bills are the godwits. Only Black-tailed and Hudsonian have black tails and Black-tailed has white underwing coverts.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

I've seen thousands of Marbled Godwits and am quite familiar with them. I've seen only one Hudsonian previously.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

14 years.

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

Photos