LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

     This form is intended as a convenience in reporting observations of species on the Louisiana Bird Records Committee (LBRC) Review List. The LBRC recommends the use of this form or a similar format when submitting records for review (to assure that all pertinent information is accounted for). Attach additional pages as necessary. Please print or type. Attach xerox of field notes, drawings, photographs, or tape recordings, if available. Include all photos for more obscurely marked species. When completed, mail to Secretary, Louisiana Bird Records Committee, c/o Museum of Natural Science, 119 Foster Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-3216.

1. English and Scientific names: Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Myiodynastes luteiventris

2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage (e.g., 2 in alternate plumage):

1 individual, unknown sex, immature, molting greater coverts

3. Locality: LOUISIANA: (parish) _Jefferson Parish____________________________

Specific Locality: _­­­­­­­­________Sureway Woods, Grand Isle_________

4. Date(s) when observed: September 30, 2010

5. Time(s) of day when observed:    10:00am

6. Reporting observer and address:

Justin Hite

24409 Second St

Hayward, CA 94541

760-680-1660

7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

John Herbert, Slade Sapora, Shiloh Schulte

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):

Devin Bosler, Malcom Mark Swan, Alan Kneidel, many others

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):

Good, inside canopy so it had a good dark backdrop for observing details of plumage color.

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition):

Swarovski 10x42 EL Binoculars

11. Distance to bird(s):

10m

12. Duration of observation:

about 5 minutes

13. Habitat: Maritime Oak forest

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation (flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits used in identification; relate events surrounding observation):

First seen in sally down into clearing below oak canopy, then swooping up to a different perch.  Sallied again several times, resting in an active, engaged flycatcher way while perched. Last seen after a long sally when it flew out of sight.  Had not returned after 30 minutes of waiting

15. Description (include only what was actually seen, not what "should" have been seen; include if possible: total length/relative size compared to other familiar species, body bulk, shape, proportions, bill, eye, leg, and plumage characteristics. Stress features that separate it from similar species):

Roughly the size of a Kingbird.  Stout dark bill, thicker and more robust than a Kingbird’s, with a little horn color around the gape.  Tail rufous (the color of a brown thrasher). Yellow belly and breast, with thick dark streaks above fading to thinner streaks on the flanks.  Pale throat and chin.  Dark eye stripe and malar stripe set off by white eyebrow and mustache.  Pale-edged coverts and tertials, those feathers otherwise mostly darkish.  Bill and eye dark.

 

16. Voice:

Did not vocalize

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation):

Piratic Flycatcher does not have a rufous tail; this bird did.

Streaked Flycatcher has a paler malar stripe than this bird.  Also, the belly on this bird was too yellow for Streaked, and the streaks were too thin and did not extend outward enough onto the belly.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?):

John Herbert, jherbert10@gmail.com.  Three photos attached, John has several more.

19. Previous experience with this species:

Extensive experience with Sulphur-bellied in the neo tropics, can identify by sight and ear.  Also extensive experience with two similar species, Streaked and Piratic Flycatchers, so I can be confident the Grand Isle birds was not one of those.

20. Identification aids: (list books, illustrations, other birders, etc. used in identification):

a. at time of observation:

National Geogrphic’s Birds of North America.

b. after observation:

 Later confirmed it was not a Streaked or Piractic Flycatcher by looking in Howell and Webb’s Birds of Mexico and Ridgely’s Birds of Ecuador.

21. This description is written from: _____ notes made during the observation (_____notes attached?);_____notes made after the observation (date:_____); __X___memory.

22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain:

I am 100% positive of the identification

23. Signature of reporter: ______________________________Date:__________Time:_______

24. May the LBRC have permission to display this report or
portions of this report on its webite? _______Yes_________________

If yes, may we include your name with the report? _________Yes_________

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