#68-B-07

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: Long-tailed Jaeger

HOW MANY: 1- Adult

REPORTER: Brad Hardenburger
1725 Challis Dr.
Mountain Home, Id 83647
(208) 587-4974

REPORTER EMAIL: bradhardenburger@yahoo.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:

DATE REPORT PREPARED: 14 July 2007

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: 6 July 2007

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: CJ Strike Reservoir

HABITAT: Open water

CONDITIONS: Duration of observation lasted about 1 minute. The weather was HOT and sunny with a slight breeze. No optics were used. The bird was seen from a boat, closest sighting was approximately 20 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?: The Sibley guide to birds. I did not look at it for identification purposes, but just to see how big the tail could/should be and look at the map. I know that other Long-tailed Jaegers, mostly juveniles, have been seen in Idaho.

DESCRIPTION: Dark brown gull type bird with thin body and wings. Extremely long tail, probably 6-8 inches, breast and throat lighter in coloration with a slight creme color on cheeks. Black cap was distinct. This is my first Long-tailed Jaeger, but I have seen the other two species. It was definitely smaller than the other two species.

BEHAVIOR: Flushed from the water and flew west about 20 feet above the water. It was alone.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? The first thing that I noticed that made me take a closer look at the bird was its dark color. After flushing the bird from the water I slowed my boat and turned toward the bird. I drove directly at and slightly behind the bird getting to within about 20 feet. Having seen the other two species of Jaeger, I was positive that this was a Long-tailed Jaeger when I saw the bird from the side while approaching it.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? I have seen the other two Jaeger species and the dark coloration was to uniformed for a wintering gull as well as the small body size and the length of the tail.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): First Long-tailed Jaeger, but have seen the other two Jaeger species.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: I have been birding since 1977. I was in the Air Force and had numerous opportunities to bird throughout North America as well as other countries (Portugal, Germany, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt). My life list consists of 836 species, 581 in North America. Most of my vacations center around birding and have target birded in many N.A. hot spots. I consider visual birding as my specialty.

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