Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

 

Species: Least Flycatcher (3 singing individuals)

 

Reporter: Heidi Ware HeidiTheBirdNerd@yahoo.com

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

 

Other Observers: Jay Carlisle

 

Date Report Prepared: 6-19-10

 

Date Sighting Occurred:  6-10-09

 

Locality of Observation: West Magic road along Big Wood River, Lincoln County

The GPS coordinates for the survey points where birds were observed are:

43.20163

-114.33929

2 birds

43.20558

-114.35596

1 bird

 

Habitat: Cottonwood stands along and near river

 

Conditions:  mostly cloudy; cool & calm

 

Did you take notes?  No

 

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?  no

           

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

 

Description:  All 3 birds were heard doing their “che-bec” song during point counts. The song was very distinctive, repetitive, and insistent.

 

Behavior:  The birds were only heard, singing from cottonwoods (w/ willow understory)

 

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you?  The songs were very obvious! I had recently heard my first Least Flycatchers a few weeks before, so I clearly remembered the “che-bec” sound. A few minutes later I heard a Grey Flycatcher song, so I was very sure that I wasn’t confusing the two.

 

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they?  Gray Flycatchers also say something like “che-bec”, but it is not as insistent (more lazy!) and also not usually repeated so much.

 

Experience with this species (and similar species): I had seen and heard at least 2 other Least Flycatchers a few weeks previous to this sighting, in the company of other experienced birders. I have seen and heard 10’s of all the regularly occurring Idaho empidonax flycatchers both in the hand and in the field, and feel very comfortable with call/song ID’s. I saw/heard Gray, Willow, and Dusky Flycatchers within a few hours of observing these birds.

 

General birding experience: about 2 years of “intense” birding. I feel comfortable with the songs/calls and visual ID of most common Idaho species. I have in-hand experience with many species (2 seasons banding at IBO), and 2 summers of standardized point-count survey experience in Idaho (ID using call, song, visual) in riparian, forest, and desert habitats, among others.

 

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach)    No.