#:20-B-07

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM
SPECIES:  Rose Breasted Grosbeak

HOW MANY:1, adult male

REPORTER:  Cynthia Stocker, H/C 67 Box 648, Clayton, ID 83227
(208) 838-2454

REPORTER EMAIL: 
cstocker@hotmail.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:
Cynthia Stocker found the bird.  Her daughter Molly Garnero, (contact information same as above), and friends Elise and Dave Faike also saw the bird.  The Faikes can be contacted at (208) 879-5291

DATE REPORT PREPARED:  03/02/07

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:  06/19/05 06/20/05

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: The bird was spoted at the Yankee Fork Ranger Station in Clayton, Idaho.  Lat. - North 44 15 25 by Long.- West 114 29 32

HABITAT: backyard, very rural isolated, on Salmon river, surrounded by open fields

CONDITIONS: The bird was sighted in the mid afternoon.  It was a sunny day with temps. below 80.  He was seen off and on through out the two days feeding on a fly through feeder filled with black oil seeds.  I saw him from my bedroom window with my Nikon binos.  The bird was about 50 feet from my window

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: 
Yes, later the same day

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: 
Yes, during the observation

WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?:
I consulted the National Geographic field guide to birds of North America, 4th edition

DESCRIPTION:  The bird was a Rose Breasted Grosbeak.  He was large, had a trianguler beak, rose breast w/white underparts, white wing bars, white rump

BEHAVIOR:  I only observed the bird eating, and perching on the Aspen tree next to the feeded and on the fly through feeder. It tended to leave when other birds showed up.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?
I was able to possitively identify the bird through the field guide and with added observations of the Faikes who are long time birders.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?
There really are no birds which look closs enough to this one to confuse it.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): 
I have a good familiarity with other types of grosbeaks; evening, black headed.  These are common to my yard.  However I have never seen a rose breasted until now.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: 
I have only been birding for about 6 years.  I am also a falconer, and licesed to rehab raptors.  With 1 being a novice and 10 and expert, I am probably a 5.

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

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