IBRC 66-B-09

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: Rose-breasted Growbeak
HOW MANY: 1

REPORTER: Douglas N. & Alene Hix 1380 Presto St. Idaho Falls, ID 83402 208 522 4728
REPORTER EMAIL: dhix@idahopackage.com
OTHER OBSERVERS: Douglas N. & Alene Hix

DATE REPORT PREPARED: Nov. 12, 2009
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: May 22 & 23, 2009
LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: 1380 Presto St. Idaho Falls, ID 83402 Our house borders Freeman Park.
HABITAT: Backyard, deciduous & Coniferous trees, shrubs
CONDITIONS: Alene saw the bird first when she opened the blinds at 7:30 A.M. I saw the bird immediately after that. Our feeders are about 45 feet from our house. The weather was clear and fair. Temperatures ranged from about 39 to 60 degrees F on the 2 days that we watched the bird. The bird was easily identified with the naked eye. We have a Bushnell Sentry telescope mounted on a tripod that was used to observe the bird.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: No, not at all
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: Yes, during the observation
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: The Audubon Society Master Guide to Birding 3 Old World Warblers to Sparrows Edited by John Farrand Jr.

DESCRIPTION: Finch The bird was a full plumage male that looked exactly like the picture in the book. Red breast with white belly, red streak down the center of the belly. Large white beak. Black and white wings. Acts and flies like the Black-headed Grosbeak.
BEHAVIOR: The bird arrived with a flock of Black-headed Grosbeaks. The bird fed mostly on the ground. The bird seemed somewhat shy about battling for sun flower seeds on the feeder. When not on the ground the bird was flitting in adjacent cotoneaster.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? We identified the bird immediately with the Audubon Guide that I referenced above. I recognized the bird immediately from pictures I have seen. The brilliant red breast contrasted with the black and white is unmistakeable.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? I recognized the bird immediately. I looked the picture up in the Audubon Guide to show Alene. The bird was identical to the picture.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): We have fed birds in this same location for the past 15 years. We feed dozens of Black-headed Grosbeaks in the months from May to August. We observe House Finches year round. We watch birds every day where ever we are at.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: We have watched birds together for 44 years. We have watched birds avidly for the past 15 years. We are avid bird watchers. We don't consider ourselves experts but we are not novices.

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: None