LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

1. English and Scientific names: Black-backed, Lesser Goldfinch; Carduelis psaltria

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

Never saw more than one at a time. By the bright and distinct plumage, it seemed to be an adult male. In early May, the observed bird, though bright and distinct in plumage, seemed to also have a few wispy/downy feathers at the back base of its wings, observed through binoculars when it was feeding on bird seed (see attached sketch). Wondered if this was a different, 1^st year male.

3. Locality: Parish: __Sabine__________________________________________

Specific Locality: ___.8 mile south of Pleasant Hill, at a home on Highway 175 _____________________________________

4. Date(s) when observed: 2011: Jan. 1, 5-8, 19-23, 26; (seemed to be gone Feb. through late March * see attached notes *); Mar. 23,26,28,29,30; April ,10,11,13,14,17,23,25,30; May 2,3,4,5,7 (last day to see it)

5. Time(s) of day when observed: most often seen 7:00 am till about 3:00 pm

6. Reporting observer and address: Debbie Ponder; Pleasant Hill, LA 71065 (daughter, Deborah Ponder, actually first noted the bird at the feeder).

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

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s): Curt Sorrels, Marty Guidry, Matt Pontiff, Charlie Lyon, Terry Davis, Vicky LeFevers

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): Viewed at all times of the day, in all light conditions

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition): Naked eye; Equinox binoculars 8x42

11. Distance to bird(s): Usually 8-25 feet, other times up to 50 feet

12. Duration of observation: On the days seen, usually 20-40 minutes at a time, every hour-and-a-half or so

13. Habitat: Rural (though right off the highway) back yard feeders hung in oaks

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation (flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits used in identification; relate events surrounding observation): Feeding among American Goldfinches on black oil sunflower seeds at backyard feeders; resting in surrounding oaks and catalpas

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):

16. Voice:

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation): Surrounded by 20-75 (or more) drab American Goldfinches who were in winter plumage, the Lesser Goldfinch was obvious

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): Debbie Ponder took a few low quality photos; emailed those to Steven Cardiff. Matt Pontiff also took photos, likely very high quality.

19. Previous experience with this species: none

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

a. at time of observation: National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

b. after observation: Other birders, as listed,verified

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

22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain: Yes. In the dead of dull winter, he stood out.

23. Date:_Finally filing on December 30, 2011_________Time:_______

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

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

Return to LBRC Page

Though I list Jan.1 as the first day I saw the bird, it was only in retrospect, a few days later when seeing the Lesser Goldfinch up close at my feeders, that I realized what I had seen high in a Catalpa tree on Jan. 1 wasn’t a very-early-to-be-so-bright American Goldfinch, but was likely that Lesser Goldfinch.

* I did not observe the bird at all February through late March. I became concerned that he’d died in our (very large for two dogs) dog yard. I’d found a decapitated bird body there. The bird had either drowned in the dogs’ water bucket, or when perched on the side drinking water had been caught by a dog. What was left of the bird seemed to be very bright yellow, with some black, and was the right size and shape for a goldfinch.

But during this time period, a black-backed Lesser Goldfinch appeared at my mother-in-law’s home, 2¼ miles south of my home. She lives about 400 feet off Hwy. 175. It was observed at her house off and on for a couple of weeks.

Then from late March into early May, a Lesser Goldfinch was observed again at my house, pretty regularly. Though as mentioned above and shown in the sketch below, this one seemed to have some downy-like feathers, though the coloring was certainly bright and clear.