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: Oilfield Road, .5 miles south of intersection with Miller Oilfield Road, ca. 3 mi NE of Lacassine

4. Date(s) when observed: February 25, 2012

5. Time(s) of day when observed: early afternoon

6. Reporting observer and address:

Paul Conover

Lafayette LA

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

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

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

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition): Zeiss 10s, Nikon d50 w/300mm lens

11. Distance to bird(s): about 30 yards

12. Duration of observation: about 2 minutes off and on

13. Habitat: Bird was first observed flying in a weedy field dominated by broomsedge and the dead stalks of annuals with a few scattered short Baccharis or similar plants mixed in. The bird then moved to a roadside vegetation strip which was composed of widely spaced Baccharis, elderberry, and bare trees, all of which were about 10-15 feet tall. This strip of trees was growing from a dense leafy mat of blackberry vines, about 3 feet high at its highest, but generally about half that. The roadside strip was about 10-20 feet wide, and ran for quite a distance, perhaps more than 100 yards. Adjacent to the weedy field was a cattle corral with short green grass sprouting. This corral yard was being used by Savannah and White-crowned Sparrows, but whether the towhee uses this area is unknown.

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation: We observed the bird as it flew about 10 feet across a short stretch of field, probably after flushing from the roadside hedge. We noticed that the color of the bird seemed paler than the White-crowned Sparrows that were flushing, so Dave stopped to give us a better look. I had the best look as it was on my side of the truck. Through a gap in the bush that the bird was perched in I saw a white chin/throat patch with a white malar patch and a dark moustache running between them, as in White-throated Sparrow. Then the bird moved its head so that only part of a rusty crown patch was visible, somewhat as in White-crowned Sparrow, and that combination seemed possible only for GTTO. The bird then shifted, and the greenish color of the mantle became visible, confirming ID. The bird flew a short ways, and we watched in the direction that it had moved to see if it would come out in the open. When it didn’t, I walked onto the pull-in and the flock of sparrows flushed to the hedge. The towhee was with them, and perched in an elderberry. We walked the flock down the hedge to work for a better look, and the bird flew down and landed in another bush that was open enough to give us good looks.

15. Description: A bird the size and shape of a large sparrow. The bird looked medium gray overall given the lighting and the looks we got. The chin/ throat were white and the malar area was white, with a dark moustache separating the two areas. There was a white supraloral spot, and a rusty-reddish crown patch. The belly was slightly paler but I couldn’t make out color due to lighting and looks; however, the pale belly might have been what had caught our attention in flight in the first place. Wings and tail had green tinge to them, pattern and extent impossible for us to discern.

Eye appeared reddish-brown, bill grayish. Legs appeared medium to dark, but color not apparent.

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 it.

19. Previous experience with this species: This was the 4^th I’ve seen this winter. I have also seen them out west.

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

21. Date: 2/25/2012