LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
REPORT FORM
PHOTOS BELOW
|
1. English and Scientific names: Couch’s
Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) |
|
2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage
(e.g., 2 in alternate plumage): 1 adult male, in
basic plumage. |
|
|
|
3. Locality: Parish:
Vermilion Parish |
|
Specific
Locality: Lomire Rd., 7.0 km SSW Kaplan, LA |
|
4. Date(s) when observed: 22
Dec 2013 |
|
|
|
5. Time(s) of day when observed: About
3pm |
|
|
|
6. Reporting observer and address: Erik I. Johnson, 102 Goodwood Cir., Lafayette, LA 70508 |
|
|
|
7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified
the bird(s): Philip C Stouffer, Marty Floyd,
Marty Guidry |
|
|
|
8. Other observers who independently identified the
bird(s): I believe others saw the bird in the
following days |
|
|
|
9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade
and to direction and amount of light): overcast,
even lighting. Creating a bit of a
silhouette, but that wasn’t an issue given how close the bird was. |
|
|
|
10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition): 10 x 42 Swarovski EL binoculars, good condition. Nikon D7000 with Nikon 80-400 mm f4-5.6 ED
lens. |
|
|
|
11. Distance to bird(s): 30-100
feet |
|
|
|
12. Duration of observation: 15
minutes |
|
|
|
13. Habitat: brushy field with
patches of small deciduous trees on opposite side of road from rural
residential |
|
|
|
14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation
(flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits
used in identification; relate events surrounding observation): Bird first seen when driving by slowly (with windows
open), sitting at the top of the tree and calling. We stopped and
got out, watching the bird continue to call and
occasionally sally out and change trees.
We tried playback of Couch’s Kingbird and the bird increased in
agitation, adding different kinds of vocalizations, and flew towards and over
us and across the street, perching on a nearby live oak tree in the
yard. It continued to fly back and
forth across the road, from tree top to tree top, calling. |
|
|
|
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): Large yellow-bellied Tyrannus kingbird with gray head (i.e., not a Myiarchus, as it lacked rufous in
wings). The bill seemed robust and
long, and the yellow blended into the paler grayish-whitish throat, with a
slightly more olive cast to the chest – not transitioning from yellow to gray
in the chest like Western or Cassin’s Kingbird. At this point, I looked for the tail and
noticed it was not black, but more brownish and perhaps slightly notched,
similar in color to the olive-toned back.
Being very familiar with calls of Tropical Kingbird, this bird sounded
completely different and the call note was a hollow Song Sparrow-link
“chimp”, not the twittering call of Tropical Kingbird. Lack of apparent molt limits and primaries
6-10 with distinct notches, indicating adult male in definitive basic
plumage. |
|
|
|
16. Voice: Various calls,
reminiscent of Song Sparrow “chimp” calls and song-like notes. See video (https://vimeo.com/82526069). |
|
|
|
17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by
your observation): Not Western or Cassin’s
Kingbird by brownish tail, and eliminated from all yellow-bellied Tyrannus kingbirds by call. |
|
|
|
18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): Yes,
photos and video by me. See bottom of
report, or https://picasaweb.google.com/115026760334011394048/CouchSKingbird# |
|
|
|
19. Previous experience with this species: Very little – I have seen it a few times in south
Texas, but not in years, and I have never seen previously in LA, despite
chasing a few. I am very familiar with
Tropical Kingbird from many months spent in Costa Rica and Amazonian Brazil. |
|
|
|
20. Identification aids: (list books, illustrations, other
birders, etc. used in identification): |
|
|
|
a. at time of observation: Audubon
iPhone app (to confirm call notes) |
|
|
|
b. after observation: Sibley
Guide to N.A., Pyle Guide (1997) |
|
|
|
21. This description is written from: _____ notes made
during the observation (_____notes attached?);__X__notes made after the observation (date: 22 Dec 2013 in
eBird); __X__memory. |
|
22. Are you positive of your identification if not,
explain: Yes. |
|
|
|
23. Date: 16 Feb 2014 Time: 11:20am |
|
|
|
24. May the LBRC have permission to display this report or
|
|
If yes, may we include your name with the report? Yes |
