Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Northern Hawk Owl

Reporter:

Scott Trost
1917 Allmon Dr
Lewiston Idaho 83501,
(208) 791-4917
Strost@lewiston.com

Other Observers: Jennifer Cunningham

Date Report Prepared: 11/29/2007

Sighting on 11/24/2007 3:50 PM

Locality of Observation: 5 miles west of Grangeville Idaho (on
us 95 apx 1mile west of the Johnston cutoff.)

Habitat: Open farmland

Conditions: Overcast grey day with several inches of snow on the
ground the owl was perhaps 50 to 80 feet away sitting on a mile post on the
other side of the us 95 (two lane road, so 1 lane width, plus the side of
the road and a few feet to the sign post). I got a very good look at the owl
at fairly close range.

Did you take notes.

During the observation? __no but I did comment to Jennifer about
seeing the owl and that it was very unusual for our area__________
After the observation? ___no___________
The same day? ________no____________
Another day?__________no____________
Not at all? __________verbal above and a mental note to remember
the conditions, date, time and location and to check the field guide
to verify what I had just seen ______________

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?
During the observation?____________
Later the same day? _______________
Another day? ______a couple of days later _______________
Not at all? ________________________

The Sibley Guide to birds

Description: A smallish bar chested owl with a long tail and no
ear tufts. I would estimate size to be somewhere between a Merlin and a
prairie falcon. At the time of the sighting I thought it was really odd for the
area and that I would have to consult one of my field guide to verify what
I believed I had just spotted. I commented to Jen at the time of the
sighting that it was an odd bird for the area.

Behavior: Was sitting on a fence post / mile post type thing
along the side us 95. (ten or fifteen feet off the road surface lateral and
about three to four feet vertical above the ground)

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what
clinched the identification for you? At the time of the sighting I noted the
lack of ear tufts, the black frame around a white face and a long tail, the
horizontal bars on the chest and the fact that it was larger than other
small owls that I knew to be local to the area. The combination of those items
made me realize that I needed to check a field guide to verify what I
though I had just seen.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? It
was a smaller owl that lacked ear tufts so that took larger owls and owls with
ear tufts out of the picture. I have worked with or held smaller non
tufted owls like the saw-whet's in my hand and this owl was larger than I knew
those owls to be. It also had a long tail similar to that of a falcon which
took the other small non tufted owls out of the running. The only thing
that really seemed to fit in my mind at the time was a northern hawk owl
which I knew to not be local to the area. When I checked the field guide the
picture in the guide was a dead ringer for what I had seen sitting on the post

Experience with this species: none. However growing up I worked
with many owl species, which is what made this one really stand out in my
mind when I saw it, I knew it was different than any other owl that I had
ever worked with in the past.

General experience birding: Mostly through osmosis in growing up
with my father who is an ornithologist. I know or have seen most of the
resident and migrant birds in the state of Idaho. I have several field
guides that I keep available and in general I keep track of the birds I see
each day/year although not in check list form. I would however not classify
myself as a hard core birder by any means of the word. I would say that I am
more of the casual birder who keeps general track of what he sees and
notices things that are out of the norm for a given area and when that happens I
make sure that I verify those birds that don't fit within my expectations
to an area with a field guide.

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? No