REPORT FORM
|
1. English and
Scientific names: Black-legged Kittiwake |
|
2. Number of
individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage (e.g., 2 in alternate plumage): 1
in worn adult plumage |
|
3. Locality:
LOUISIANA: Cameron |
|
Specific Locality: Rutherford
Beach, Cameron |
|
4. Date(s) when
observed: 04/24/2014 |
|
|
|
5. Time(s) of day
when observed: mid-morning |
|
|
|
6. Reporting
observer and address: Paul Conover, Lafayette |
|
|
|
7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified
the bird(s): |
|
|
|
8. Other observers who independently identified the
bird(s): The bird was found and identified on 4/22/2014 by Patti Holland, Molly
Richard, and Angela Trahan |
|
|
|
9. Light conditions
(position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): bright |
|
|
|
10. Optical
equipment (type, power, condition): Zeiss
10s, Nikon D50 w/300mm lens, Nikon Fieldscope
w/20-60x, Samsung S4 phone camera |
|
|
|
11. Distance to
bird(s): Bird allowed close
approach if done slowly. I came with 20 yards. |
|
|
|
12. Duration of
observation: probably 15 minutes |
|
|
|
13. Habitat: Gulf beach, bordered on N by pastureland
and marsh. |
|
|
|
14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation (flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits used in identification; relate events surrounding observation): Bird was sitting with a large gull and tern flock. Most of the birds in the flock were small, especially Forster’s Terns. The bird was near Laughing Gulls but not associating with them. It was the bird perched the highest and farthest from the water’s edge, standing facing the water from the bare strip of sand above the recent tidelines. |
|
|
|
Short-legged, stocky medium-sized
gull with blocky head, pale gray upperparts, plain black wingtips, black eye
and yellow bill. Silver-gray above, with all
feathers except for mantle appearing very worn.
Wings worn, with dusky markings on greater primary coverts, either due to
wear or perhaps remnants of a subadult plumage. outer
primaries plain dark black, with dark edge to entire visible outer web of outermost
primary (p10), similar but much shorter mark on next innermost primary (p9). Primaries
skeletal, white areas of primaries especially worn. Dusky tips to badly worn inner
primaries (like associated dusky coverts) probably a sign of subadult
plumage. Flight feathers slightly paler than upperwing coverts. Thin white trailing
edge on secondaries, almost obscured by wear. Head white, with a small dark
smudge about the size of the eye above and adjacent to the rear half of eye,
and a larger, slightly duskier ear spot. Slight dusky streaking connecting
the eye smudge to the top of the ear spot, with duskier streaking connect
both ear spots forming a weak hind-collar. Neck white. Eye dark brown, bill completely
unmarked medium yellow. Some duskiness at base of bill, probably stain. Rump and tail white. Underparts white. Legs dark, with dusky pink or
purple hint. Legs not black. |
|
17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation): Wing pattern eliminates similar species. |
|
|
|
18. Photographs or
tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): Decent flight photos, better perched shots.
|
|
|
|
19. Previous
experience with this species: Good. Adults in Canada, 1st
years in Louisiana. This is my first look at a more advanced bird in Louisiana.
|
|
|
|
|
|
21. This
description is written from: memory |
|
22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain: yes 23. 04/25/2014 |
|
|