LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

1. English and Scientific names: Green-tailed Towhee, Pipilo chlorurus

2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage: 1

3. Locality: Parish: Jeff Davis

Specific Locality: Miller Oilfield Road, ca. 3 mi NE of Lacassine

4. Date(s) when observed: February 19, 2012

5. Time(s) of day when observed: about 3:30

6. Reporting observer and address:

Paul Conover

Lafayette LA

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

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s): Dave Patton, Winston Caillouet

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): Sunny, bird below me against backdrop of ground

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

11. Distance to bird(s): about 10 feet

12. Duration of observation: about 10 minutes off and on

13. Habitat: a pretty thin treeline with a dense line of short vegetation running alongside dirt/gravel road in agricultural country. The short vegetation had a core of woody plants (bonsai-ed yaupon?) and a covering of honeysuckle and other still green plants. This line was, as mentioned, very thin, perhaps 10 feet wide, between the road and a rain-filled drainage ditch.

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation: I had been parked for several minutes when I noticed a White-crowned sparrow emerge from the burrows in the wall of plants on the roadside. A few seconds later, a Green-tailed Towhee followed it out onto the roadside. Both began foraging on the ground, with the towhee scratching with both feet and then pecking at the disturbed soil. The towhee fed on the open roadside but within an easy run of the cover of the vegetation, which it darted into several times, only to re-emerge within seconds/minutes. The towhee threaded in and out of the brushline down the roadside about 20-30 yards, and then returned. It fed next to my vehicle several times, and seemed undisturbed by my movements, which included clicking my camera, and setting up a videocamera on a window mount and getting footage.

15. Description: A typical GTTO, with a medium gray ground color, a touch of vivid green on the shoulders and hind neck, and green-edged flight feathers of wing and tail. Belly was slightly paler than rest of bird, but not distinctly. Broadly white chin and throat and white malar (petered out about mid-eye), separated by a dusky grayish moustache that bordered entire white chin/throat patch. White supraloral patch that ended at about the forward line of eye. Rusty-reddish cap beginning just behind dusky gray forehead.

Eye appeared dark brown, bill grayish with darker maxilla. Legs appeared medium grayish, perhaps with warmer color (pinkish?) tones.

16. Voice: Didn’t hear it.

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation): None.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): I photographed and videotaped it.

19. Previous experience with this species: Some previous out of state, now 3 this winter. This look now ranks as my best.

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

21. Date: 2/21/2012