Rare Bird Report #: 45-B-06

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Short-billed Dowitcher

HOW MANY:

3

REPORTER:

Cliff Weisse

REPORTER EMAIL:

cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

OTHER OBSERVERS:

Lisa Weisse

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

8/25/06

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

8/25/06

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

Island Park Reservoir near the mouth of Sheridan Creek

HABITAT:

Mud flat

CONDITIONS:

Intermittent sun/partly cloudy creating bright overcast

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:

No, not at all

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:

No, not at all

WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?:



DESCRIPTION:

Juvenal plumage dowitchers. Long bill, overall rufous appearance. All feathers of upperparts uniform and neatly edged consistent with juvenal plumage. Tertials with narrow but obvious rufous internal markings. Internal markings consisting of a long bar parralelling the rufous feather edge for most of the length of the feather and close to the lower edge of the tertials. There were numerous fine notches extending upwards or towards the feather shaft from the internal bar. Bills of two individuals had a sublte droop at the tip about 1/4 of the length from the tip or 3/4 of the length from the base. Underparts whitish with buffy wash on breast.

BEHAVIOR:

Two individuals were associating with each other and foraging near a large flock of Franklin's Gulls. They flew a short distance on several occasions before leaving the area. The third individual was foraging in the same general area but in a flock with Willets and two Marbled Godwits and it did not associate with the other two birds. No vocalizations were heard either while foraging or in flight.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?

I am familiar with the diagnostic internal markings on the tertials and that mark was the clincher on all three individuals once I was certain they were in juvenal plumage.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?

Obviously the only species to be confused with Short-billed Dowitcher is Long-billed Dowitcher which is eliminated by the tertial markings

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

I've been studying Dowitcher identification both spring and fall for five or so years and see hundreds, if not thousands, of Long-billeds annually and a few Short-billeds annually in Idaho.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

13 years.

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

None