Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

Reporter: Jay Carlisle

989 W. Sherwood, Boise, ID 83706 jaycarlisle@boisestate.edu

Other Observers: Jack Stenger

Date Report Prepared: 6/19/10

Date Sighting Occurred: 5/23/09

Locality of Observation: Crystal Creek Ranch along Big Wood River

GPS coordinates of survey point:

43.34522

-114.30773

Habitat: Willows & cottonwoods along Big Wood River

Conditions: I don’t remember details but a nice day (good weather for conducting surveys)

Did you take notes: no

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?

yes

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

Sibley & National Geographic

Description: While conducting a point count survey, I first heard the squeaky “pik” call of a Pheucticus grosbeak and looked up to see a female. From a post I made to IBLE later that day: “I had not previously realized that the Pheucticus grosbeaks might be separable by call - but having heard numerous Black-headeds over the previous couple weeks (including today - before and after the Rose-breasted sighting), I was first tipped off to this bird by its slightly different call (hard to put into words but maybe 'slightly sharper & thinner' than Black-headed calls). Then I saw the extensively pink bill, extensively white throat, and the pattern of chest streaking.” The individual chest streaks appeared slightly wider than those on female Black-headeds.

Behavior: The bird called a few times while working through a couple of willows, perched 2-4m above the ground, and then moved into an area with more cottonwoods. I did not follow since I was in the middle of a survey.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? The slightly different call note made me suspicious – especially given the late May date (when vagrants are more likely). When I saw the bird, I first noticed the chest pattern (see above) and then turned to the head where I noticed the more extensively white throat and that there was less dark on the bill. Jack, who has a lot of experience with this species from Ohio, agreed that it looked like a Rose-breasted.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they?

Females of Black-headed and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks could easily be confused. Black-headed females tend to have thinner streaks (that are more restricted to the sides of the chest & flanks), some orange or tawny coloration to the underparts, less of a white throat, and more dark on the bill.

Experience with this species (and similar species):

I’ve seen 100s of each grosbeak species but this was the first time I’d noticed a slight difference in call between the 2 species.

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) Yes – 1. See attached.

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