Rare Bird Report #: 33-B-07

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Summer Tanager

HOW MANY:

1adult female

REPORTER:

Theresa Mathis
208-403-3855
Brian Weihausen
208-524-7573

REPORTER EMAIL:

Theresa_Mathis@blm.gov Brian_Weihausen@blm.gov

OTHER OBSERVERS:

Cliff Weiser

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

05/14/07

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

05/12/07

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

Market Lake WMA, Roberts, ID - North Shelter Belt

HABITAT:

shelter belt of cottonwood, russian olive, and willow trees and siberian pea shrub

CONDITIONS:

We observed the bird at close range (less than 10 feet) 3 different times. The initial sighting was about 715AM. The bird was at eye level i a cotton wood tree and shaded. We observed her about 3 min. The 2nd observation was about 815AM. We watched her about 10 min. She perched in siberian pea shrub about 5 feet away, she foraged on bees during that time and then flew into large deciduous tree. We then ran into Cliff Weiser, after 10 min we refound the bird and watched her another 10 min. She was not observed on later trips through the shelterbelt before 12N.15% cloud cover, calm with winds picking up in the late morning. Optics were swarovski EL 10X42, audubon 10X42s.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:

Yes, during the observation

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:

Yes, during the observation

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

Kaufman's Focus Guide 2000 and Sibley's Guide to Birds 2000

DESCRIPTION:

Large tanager, noticeably large beak, beak appeared dark with flesh colored edges, no gray cheek patch, yellow undertail coverts, no wing bars, wings not considerably darker than body, white broken eye-ring

BEHAVIOR:

no vocalization, she foraged on bees, she was alone and had no interaction with other birds, she flew between siberian peas and large deciduous trees, she perched on outer edges of shrubs and trees

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

The large beak and overall yellow color. Cliff Weise was instrumental in final identification. Several photos were taken of this bird.

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

wings were not noticeably darker than body, bill very large, no gray cheek patches

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

very little - Theresa observed summer tanagers 2 different times in AZ, Brian observed them in TX. Neither of us are very familiar with them

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

Theresa has been birding 8-9 years, Brian 5 years. Level would be good.

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

Photos.

[NOTE: the following photos have been reduced to 640x480 pixels for presentation here. Click the photo to view the photo in the size submitted (1600x1200) if you want. --- Stacy]