Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Rose-breasted Grosbeak male

Reporter: Heidi Ware HeidiTheBirdNerd@yahoo.com

2120 Mortimer Drive Boise, ID 83712 (208) 860-5935

Other Observers: Jay Carlisle, Poo Wright-Pulliam (others observed this bird on other days before and after we saw it)

Date Report Prepared: 1/25/10

Date Sighting Occurred: 6/17/09

Locality of Observation: a home/birdfeeders north of Hailey, ID at Dave Spalding’s house

Habitat: Bird was seen mostly in high aspen trees around the house, but also on birdfeeders and evergreen trees in the yard. It was in a neighborhood setting, but with lots of trees and woods around it.

Conditions: just before a huge hail and thunder storm! I use Vortex Viper 10x42 binos

Did you take notes…

no

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?

I had recently been checking them out to compare female RBGRs and BHGRs

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

Sibley

Description: a second-year male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. He had very distinct plumage with the bright neon red chest, crisp white belly, black head, back and wings (with white markings), and a typical grosbeak- shaped bill that was light pink. We believe he was a second-year male because we could see the molt limit in his wings, where he still had some brown juvenile flight feathers. We also heard his call note (similar to a BHGR, but more squeaky. described well by a friend as a “squeak of a basketball sneaker”).

Behavior: We saw him come into the yard where all the feeders were (seed and jelly). He was mostly in the tall aspen trees in the yard, but also in some low conifer trees. He called as he flew in, and while he was there. He also was harassed by a male Black-headed Grosbeak!

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? Poo took us to the house specifically to see this bird. So when we heard him calling we were pretty sure it was him. Then we saw him, and there was NO doubt. Wow! He was bright!

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

Females/immatures of Black-headed and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks might be confused, but an adult male would be pretty hard to confuse with anything else. It was definitely cool to see males of the two grosbeak species together in the same tree.

Experience with this species (and similar species):

This was my Lifer Rose-breasted Grosbeak! Black-headed Grosbeaks are one of the more common species I observed during summertime birding, as well as detecting them during point-count surveys for various agencies

General birding experience: I have been seriously birding for a little over a year. I now feel confident on my visual and auditory ID skills of many common Idaho bird species. I spent the summer of ‘09 conducting bird point count surveys using both sight and sound for ID. I also have in-hand experience with many Idaho species.

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