IBRC #24-B-10

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula
HOW MANY: one

REPORTER: Terry Gray 890 Stefany Ln Moscow ID 83843 208-882-1585
REPORTER EMAIL: clgtlg@moscow.com
OTHER OBSERVERS: Jerry Cebula, Nancy and Reid Miller, Louise LaVoie, Larry Pulley, Nate Lovallo, Deanna Kinzinger, the Fraziers - a total of 13 people including myself

DATE REPORT PREPARED: 3/30/2010
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: 3/27/2010

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Observation occurred at the St. Maries, Idaho Sewage Ponds north of St. Maries.
HABITAT: Sewage Ponds
CONDITIONS: approximatey 35 minutes before the flock of diving ducks departed the ponds. Partley cloudy skies with light winds with a temperature of approximatey 45 degrees. The group observed the bird through spotting scopes and binoculars at a distance of approximately 75 yards. I along with one other person walked along the ponds and got to within 30 yards of this bird for a couple photos.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: Yes, later the same day
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: Yes, during the observation
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America.

DESCRIPTION: Aythya- Aythya fuligula - Tufted Duck. I first observed this bird on the pond swimming from left to right providing a great profile of the entire bird. The bird had a black head with a long dangling tuft that hung down a little over half way down the back of the neck. The bird also had a black back with an all-white flanks. Yellow eye and a chalky grayish bill with a black tip.
BEHAVIOR: This bird was with other diving ducks, Common Goldeneye, Lesser and Greater Scaup. There were also Mallards, Gadwall and Wood Ducks but the Tufted Duck remained out in the middle of the pond with the other diving ducks. The birds were not feeding, just swimming around on the pond. The diving ducks finally took to the air and the bird disappeared into the flock of 30+ diving ducks and flew north.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? I had observed this species in this area of Idaho a few years back so had observed this species on two time before. I knew to look for the tuft but the black back and very white flanks jump out when you see it with other Aythya species.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? Again the black back and very white flanks and the obvious long tuft was all I needed to shout hot TUFTED DUCK to the other 12 field trip participants. It was interacting by swimming with Lesser and Greater Scaup and Common Goldeneye which also showed the difference between the Tufted Duck and the Scaup by the dark all black back and white flanks.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): I have observed this species 2 time in the past north of this location at the flooded fields southwest of Cataldo, Idaho.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: I have been an active birder and fieldtrip leader for the past 14 years and feel that I know the birds in this area very well.

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

Photos taken at St. Maries Sewage Lagoons 27 March 2010 by Terry Gray

Photos below taken at St. Maries Sewage Lagoons 28 March by Jonathon Isacoff.