Rare Bird Report 29-B-08
RARE OR UNUSUAL BIRD REPORT FOR IDAHO
Other Observers (please
print): Lisa Weisse, same address as above.
Date and time of record: 9/14/2002 Date report prepared: 11/18/2002
Conditions: Sunny with
light wind. Sun was behind us. The bird flew overhead and was observed
flying around over the water and landing on the surface several times for
approximately 10 minutes. Distance on
the flyover was about forty yards but most of the rest of the time the bird was
at least 200 yards away. I watched it with
Nikon 10 x 25 Mountaineer binoculars and 50mm Bushnell scope with 60x
eyepiece.
Description of bird(s) (size, color, all field marks you observed, field marks not seen, etc.): Juvenile Pomarine Jaeger. The bird was dark brown overall, including the head, had lighter uppertail coverts, dark brown tail, dark brown primaries, did not have obvious projection of the central tail feathers, and flew with slow deep wing beats, flapping constantly and never gliding, recalling the flight of a large gull. It appeared large and bulky.
Behavior of this bird(s) (song or calls, other birds with this one, interactions, etc.): The bird did not interact with any other birds and was by itself for the duration of the observation.
List similar species and tell
how you eliminated them:
Heerman’s Gulls of all ages are eliminated by light uppertail coverts.
Long-tailed Jaeger is eliminated by dark brown plumage lacking any hint of gray tones, lack of contrasting light fringes to feathers, lack of projection of central tail feathers, and gull-like flight characteristics not at all like the buoyant flight of terns.
Parasitic Jaeger is eliminated by combination of dark head and light uppertail coverts. According to Sibley in The Sibley Guide to Birds, at the bottom of page 199, “Combination of dark head and light uppertail coverts is typical of Pomarine and is never shown by Parasitic”.
What is your experience with this or similar species?: None
Were photos obtained?: NO (Please enclose if possible):
Your signature (plus collaborating observers):