#: 81-B-07

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Long tailed jaeger

HOW MANY:

1

REPORTER:

Dan Audet
3901 Moccasin Road
Coeur d'Alene ID 83815
208-765-2126

REPORTER EMAIL:

dansuzcda@aol.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:

Suzanne Audet

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

September 2, 2007

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

September 1, 2007

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

Lake Pend Orielle, 3/4 miles north of Cape Horn and 1/2 off shore.

HABITAT:

lacustrine

CONDITIONS:

observed bird for 1/2 hour, clear skies, no wind, afternoon sun was behind us, observation distance initially 50 yards as close as 20 yards

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?:

National Geogrpahic 4th edition

Seabirds - Peter Harrsion

DESCRIPTION:

Jaegar

long pointed wings, bill, white in primaries

BEHAVIOR:

bird sitting on water. Only flew if approached within 20 yards. Nearby common terns were very vocal when flying over the jaeger.

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

a very dark gray jaeger. Review of photograph indiciated just two white primary shafts in upperwing (Harris)

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

only two white primary shafts in upperwing

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

20+ years experience with jaegers in NJ,MD,CA,AK,and ID. Have seen numerous long-tailed jaegers in Alaska.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

27 years experience in birding. Previously worked for US Fish and Wildlife Service on numerous bird survey and studies.

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

Photos [Cropped from the original jpgs sent by Dan Audet -- SJP]