RARE BIRD REPORT #: 80-B-06

Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Purple Finch

Reporter: Jay Carlisle

6105 Kirkwood Rd

Boise, ID 83709

jaycarlisle@boisestate.edu

Other Observers: none

Date Report Prepared: 12-06-06

Date Sighting Occurred: 10-23-05

Locality of Observation: Lucky Peak, Boise Foothills, Ada Co.

Habitat: north-south trending ridgeline with a patchy mosaic of shrubsteppe, mountain deciduous shrubland, and conifer forest

Conditions: clear, calm, and cool; I used Swarovski EL 10x42 binoculars and saw the bird perched at about 30m distance.

Did you take notes? not at all

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work? no

What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult?

Description: A medium-sized finch; a female-type Carpodacus. Brownish upperparts, streaked underparts, and very distinct whitish supercilium and submoustachial stripe. From my vantage, I could not see any streaks on the undertail coverts but I also couldn’t say with certainty that they weren’t there.

Behavior: I first heard the bird calling as it flew in (from the S) towards the Douglas Fir trees atop Lucky Peak. It then landed at the top of one tree for a minute or so and flew off to the N/NE. The call note I heard several times during flight was a very dry ‘pit, pit-pit’.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? Right away due to the diagnostic flight calls.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? The only truly similar species is the Cassin’s Finch – a regularly-occurring species at Lucky Peak. Immature and female types appear most similar. Purple Finch differs in the flight calls, in having a slightly shorter and more curved culmen (upper mandible), and in usually lacking streaks on the undertail coverts. Also, the supercilium and submoustachial stripes are usually more distinct in Purple Finch. In truth, though the facial pattern was quite distinct, I couldn’t adequately assess bill shape or undertail pattern from my views. However, the call notes alone are diagnostic.

Experience with this species (and similar species): I have observed hundreds of Purple Finches in many states, including CT, SD, WA, OR, and CA – including hearing call notes on many occasions. This was my first sighting in Idaho. I have also observed hundreds of Cassin’s Finches in many western states, especially ID and CA – including annually in good numbers at Lucky Peak (breeders & migrants) and Camas NWR (migrants).

General birding experience: extensive; 14+ years in US and Latin America

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach) No.