IBRC 56-B-10

Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Indigo Bunting

Reporter: Heidi Ware HeidiTheBirdNerd@yahoo.com

2120 Mortimer Drive Boise, ID 83712 (208) 860-5935

Other Observers: Jay Carlisle, Stephanie Coates, Caroline Poli, Nathan Banfield (IBO songbird banding crew); Charles Swift

Date Report Prepared: 1/17/10

Date Sighting Occurred: 9/12/09

Locality of Observation: Idaho Bird Observatory migration banding project at Lucky Peak. Ada Co., ID

Habitat: Lucky Peak and surrounding area consists of conifer woodland, sagebrush, and deciduous shrub (bitter cherry, etc). The bird was only observed in-hand.

Conditions: a sunny fall day

Did you take notes…

No—except regular banding data

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?

Yes, while bird was in hand

What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult?

Sibley Guide to Birds, National Geographic, and the Peter Pyle guide.

Description: Bird was an adult female Indigo Bunting. It was very cinnamon in coloration overall with cinnamon wing bars (not white bars like a LAZB) See “similar species” section for other details

Behavior: n/a—bird in hand

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? We band many Lazuli Buntings at the site, so when I pulled this bird out of the holding bag my first thought was “woah, this is different!” (plus, my teammates who had pulled it out of the net were already giggling, knowing they were giving me a ‘surprise’). It’s overall color alone seemed to clinch it, but after checking all the other details, as well as checking with the rest of the banding crew, there wasn’t any doubt. The wing bars especially made it pretty obvious.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they?

A female or immature Lazuli Bunting would be fairly similar. The overall more cinnamon coloration of the body, including wings (which would be more grey in a LAZB) eliminated Lazuli Bunting as an option. Also, a female Laz would have a more “orangey” chest contrasting with the belly, but this bird’s belly blended into the chest. The bird also had streaks on the chest, which an adult Laz would not have. Wing and tail measurements matched INBU measurements in Pyle (though some wing and tail feathers were still undergoing symmetric molt, so this was not used as a main point of ID). Also good proof: Lazuli Buntings do not molt on the breeding grounds (molt after migration) whereas Indigo Buntings molt before migration (exactly as this one was doing)

Experience with this species (and similar species): this was my first Indigo Bunting! The other observers and I band 75+ Lazuli Buntings each season.

General birding experience: I have been seriously birding for a little over a year. I now feel confident on my visual and auditory ID skills of many common Idaho bird species. I

spent the summer of ‘09 conducting bird point count surveys using both sight and sound

for ID. I also have in-hand experience with many Idaho species.

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach) YES, see attached photo by Stephanie Coates

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