IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Purple Finch

HOW MANY:

2

REPORTER:

Cliff Weisse
4125 Beaver Springs Rd.
Island Park, ID 83429

REPORTER EMAIL:

cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:

None

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

6/19/2007

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

9/22/2005

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

West End of Island Park Reservoir. It was on a peninsula about 1/4 mile west of West End Campground (Forest Service CG), near Island Park, Fremont County.

HABITAT:

Riparian.

CONDITIONS:

Distance was about 25 feet, birds at knee level, in shadow, in willows, with 10x binocs. I don't recall the weather at all.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:

Yes, later the same day

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:

Yes, later the same day

WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?:

Sibley Guide to Birds of North America

DESCRIPTION:

Both Females. This description is from field notes written the day of observation and have not been edited in any way.

Distance was about 25 feet, birds at knee level, in shadow, in willows, with 10x binocs. Length of observation about five minutes. No other finches were observed in the two plus hours I spent in the area. Dark Brown and whitish head pattern very contrasty. Supercilium extended forward to just over the eye but did not extend forward of the eye. Supraloral was brown. White stripe below auriculars washed with gold. No eye ring visible on either bird. lateral throat stripe dark brown, malar whitish with dark streaks, throat whitish with dark streaks. Mantle brown with black streaks. Bill black, shorter than typical Cassin's with slightly curved culmen. Curve of culmen consistent through length of bill, not straight with down curve at tip as in Cassin's. Only one bird scrutinized but second bird had identical bill color and structure, similar throat and face pattern, breast pattern. Breast pattern not seen well on either individual but whitish background with dark streaks were seen on side of breast and flanks. Undertail coverts not seen well but some streaking was present on one of the birds.

BEHAVIOR:

Foraging in Willows at about knee level. They were both quite sedate and I was able to observe them for a short time, approximately 5 minutes (duration of sighting taken from my email to IBLE dated 9/22/2005).

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

I immediately recognized the first one I saw as a Purple Finch by the bold contrast of the face pattern, then the short black bill. The real clincher for me was the bill shape, evenly curved over entire length of culmen rather than straight with slight droop at tip as in Cassin's.

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

Cassin's and House Finches are the only species that would be confused with these birds. House Finch has similar bill but has grayer background color on underparts and very plain face without any bold patterning. Cassin's, the expected Carpodacus at this location, has larger bill with straight culmen that curves slightly downward at the tip and less contrast between brown and whitish on face pattern and obvious whitish eye ring that would be easily seen at this close range. While lack of streaking on the undertail coverts is an often quoted field mark for Purple Finch females regularly show streaking (Kaufmann, Advanced Birding, page 271).

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

I've seen Purple Finches, mostly females, in Wisconsin on several occasions, perhaps four times in 12 years. I see many Cassin's Finches annually and can study them on my feeders at close range. I have spent a lot of time studying them and am very familiar with variation in bill shape and head pattern.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

14 years

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

None