Documents • Iowa State University • Avian Archives of Iowa Online

Title	Genres	Topics	Date (Start)	Date (End)	Type	Description	Creator/Author	Birds	Locations	Locality	Habitat	Remarks

Rare bird documentation form for Trumpeter Swan at Mississippi River in Davenport, 1998	Field notes Forms (documents)	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1998-12-23	1998-12-30	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Trumpeter Swan at Mississippi River near Enchanted Island in Davenport in Scott County, IA on December 23, 1998.	McKay, Kelly	Trumpeter Swan	Horse Island	~0.25 mile downstream of Enchanted Island, Davenport (Scott Co.)	Mississippi River side channel. Surrounding habitat consists of a backwater slough and a developed shoreline.	The documentation form by Kelly J. McKay is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Tundra Swan - Smaller, more of an angle between bill and forehead. Snow Goose - Smaller, pink bill, black primaries. American White Pelican -'pouched' bill, black primaries and secondaries. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 12:30:00/12:45:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	32	30
Kayleen Niyo email to Steven Dinsmore regarding a Trumpeter Swan sighting, 1998	Correspondence Field notes	Bird banding Birds--Identification Rare birds	1999-01-02	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Email from Kayleen Niyo to Steven Dinsmore reporting a sighting of 3 Trumpeter Swans on December 19, 1998 during the Ames Christmas Bird Count.	Niyo, Kayleen	Trumpeter Swan	Ada Hayden Heritage Park Bjorkboda Marsh				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	32	30
Rare bird documentation form for Trumpeter Swan at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, 1999	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1999-12-19	N/A	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for four Trumpeter Swans at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge in Harrison County, IA on December 19, 1999.	Toll, Jerry	Trumpeter Swan	Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge	Boyer Chute NWR	open field	The documentation form by Jerry Toll is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. It was compiled into a document by Mindy Sheets later. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:00:00/11:15:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	32	30
Hank Zaletel email to Dave Edwards regarding a Northern Shrike sighting, 1999	Correspondence Field notes	Birds--Identification Rare birds	1999-01-05	N/A	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Email from Hank Zaletel to Dave Edwards reporting a Northern Shrike sighting during the Ames Christmas Bird Count in 1999. Hand written details by Dave Edwards include sightings of a Loggerhead Shrike and a Trumpeter Swan in Ames, Iowa.	Zaletel, Hank	Loggerhead Shrike Trumpeter Swan Northern Shrike	Ames Ada Hayden Heritage Park				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	32	30
Rare bird documentation form for Palm Warbler in Greenfield Township in Warren County, 1991	Field notes	Birds--Behavior Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1991-08-17	1991-08-18	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Palm Warbler in Greenfield Township in Warren County, IA on August 17, 1991.	Johnson, Ann	Palm Warbler	Greenfield Township	My yard in northern Warren County, Iowa	Open riparian edge	The documentation form by Ann Johnson is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Other yellow rumped warblers were eliminated by the bright yellow undertail coverts contrasting with the buffy breast and belly. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:20:00/11:25:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	35	31
Records Committee review for rare bird sighting for Bachman's Sparrow east of Des Moines in 1884	Administrative records Clippings (information artifacts) Field notes	Birds--Eggs Birds--Identification Rare birds Birds--Collection and preservation	1889-02-01	1993-08-26	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Records Committee review for a Bachman's Sparrow and nest east of Des Moines in Polk County, IA on June 2, 1884. Includes a record review document with votes, the original sighting record found in the publication Preliminary Annotated Catalogue of the Birds of Iowa in the Proceedings of the Davenport Academy Natural Sciences 5:113-161 by Charles R. Keyes and H.S. Williams seen by J.B. Green and J.A. Allen, and referenced by four other publications.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union Records Committee	Bachman's Sparrow	Des Moines				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	13	31
Rare bird documentation form for Laughing Gull at Saylorville Lake, 1987	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1987-06-29	1987-06-30	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Laughing Gull at Saylorville Lake in Polk County, IA on June 29, 1987.	Thompson, Dennis	Laughing Gull	Saylorville Lake	New Beach (sw of marina) Saylorville Lake Polk Co. Ia	Sandy beach	The documentation form by Dennis Thompson is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Franklin's gull - bird had a completely different build. I had the advantage of a direct comparison with ring-billed. This bird was smaller, but still larger than a Franklin's. I would say it was half-way between a Ring-bill + Franklin's in size. White was almost non existent [sic] in the wing-tips, both at rest + in flight. The most obvious difference was the structure of the bird. As soon as I saw it, I knew it wasn't a Franklin's. The long neck, size, long legs, long bill, + pot-bellied look caught my eye immediately. I guess another way to describe it was upright-looking. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 06:30:00/06:35:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	34	31
Birds: verifying documentation of an extraordinary sight record submitted by Richard Hollis, June 26, 1987	Field notes Forms (documents)	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1987-06-26	1987-06-28	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	A form documenting the sighting of a Laughing Gull at Hawkeye Wildlife Area in Johnson County, IA submitted by Richard Hollis on June 26, 1987.	Hollis, Richard Jule	Laughing Gull	Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	34	31
Details for rare bird sightings by James Fuller, Fall 1999	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1999-08-10	1999-09-04	Manuscript, graphic, and printed material	Details for rare bird sightings by James Fuller for August and September 1999. Includes sighting of a Laughing Gull at Babcock Access in Johnson County, IA on August 10, 1999.		Marbled Godwit Western Sandpiper Laughing Gull	Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area Casey Barrow Landing Babcock Access				Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	34	31
Rare bird documentation form for Laughing Gull at Babcock Access at Coralville Reservoir, 1999	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1999-08-10	N/A	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Laughing Gull at Babcock Access at Coralville Reservoir in Johnson County, IA on August 10, 1999.	Kent, Thomas H. (Thomas Hugh), 1934-	Laughing Gull	Babcock Access	Babcock Access, Coraville Res., Johnson Co., Iowa	Open, wide part of reservoir with mud flats.	The documentation form by Thomas H. Kent is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include James Huntington and Jim Fuller. \| Elimination of similar species: 1st year Franklin's Gull has more pattern to wings and more extensive tail band. 2nd year Franklin's would have less black in outer wing and more of a half-[illegible]. This bird was not close enough to see the bill well on details on the tail band. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 18:05:00/18:20:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	34	31
Rare bird documentation form for Laughing Gull at Saylorville Dam, 1999	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1999-04-16	1999-04-19	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Laughing Gull at Saylorville Dam in Polk County, IA on April 16, 1999.	Thompson, Dennis	Laughing Gull	Saylorville Dam	Below Saylorville Dam, Polk Co. Ia		The documentation form by Dennis Thompson is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Franklin's + this bird were swimming side by side. Bill longer, bulkier. No white in the wing tips while resting. Stretched its wings once, with no white visible in the primaries nor any white bar separating the gray wing from the black primaries. White spots + bar visible in nearby Franklin's. Direct size comparison noted above. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 15:30:00/15:40:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	34	31
Rare bird documentation form for Laughing Gull at Sandpiper Recreation Area at Saylorville, 1999	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1999-05-22	N/A	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for two Laughing Gulls at Sandpiper Recreation Area at Saylorville in Polk County, IA on May 22, 1999.	Engebretsen, Bery	Laughing Gull	Sandpiper Recreation Area	Saylorville, parking lot at Sandpiper		The documentation form by Bery Engebretsen is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: I could see both Laughing + Franklin's standing side by side. Laughing were clearly 20-25% larger, as was bill. A more prominent 'gonys' made the bill appear somewhat more hooked. In flight, the wing tips were black + more extensive than Franklins, both above + below. I looked carefully for any trace of white between tip + rest of wing, as well as for any white on the head, and there was none. The eye ring was broken on the front, less so in the back. The Franklin's had a rounder appearance to the head than did the Laughing. In flight, the Laughing's tail was pure white. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 08:05:00/08:35:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	34	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Sunken Grove State Park, 1980	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1980-11-29	N/A	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Sunken Grove State Park in Pocahontas County, IA on November 29, 1980.	Jardine, Wallace E.	Golden Eagle	Sunken Grove State Game Management Area	Sunken Grove, Pocahontas County	General: Woods around lake. Specific: edge of woods around lake	The documentation form by Wallace Jardine is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 09:00:00/09:03:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Sunken Grove State Park, 1980	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1980-09-28	1980-10-05	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Sunken Grove State Park in Pocahontas County, IA on September 28, 1980.	Harms, Ronald	Golden Eagle	Sunken Grove State Game Management Area	Sunken Grove State Park, Pocahontas Co.		The documentation form by Ronald Harms is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Pat Harms and Don Winkler. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 13:30:00/13:32:30.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Riverton Wildlife Refuge, 1980	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1980-04-05	1980-06-08	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Riverton Wildlife Refuge in Fremont County, IA on April 5, 1980.	Stone, Tom, Jr.	Golden Eagle	Riverton Wildlife Management Area	Riverton Wildlife Refuge, North End.	Open marshland with some wet woodland and dry cultivated fields nearby.	The documentation form by Tom Stone, Jr. is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: immature Bald Eagle has some grayish white areas underwings. And does not have golden feathers. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 12:00:00/12:05:00 approximately.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at New Albin, 1979	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1979-11-24	1979-11-25	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for three or four Golden Eagles at New Albin in Allamakee County, IA on November 24, 1979.	Kent, Thomas H. (Thomas Hugh), 1934-	Golden Eagle	New Albin	Upper Iowa River Valley inland from New Albin IA	High bluffs with rock outcroppings - Upper Iowa River on County Road #26 west and east of Iowa #76	The documentation form by Thomas H. Kent is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Joe Schaufenbuel, Darwin Koenig, Carl Bendorf, and Mike Malier. \| Elimination of similar species: Bald Eagle - A mature (perched) and immature (flying) bald eagle were seen in same area for comparison. The immature bald eagle was larger, broader in wings and tail and had more massive head. White was blotchy in wings and body. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 10:00:00/10:30:00 approximately.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Babcock Access at Coralville Lake, 1979	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1979-07-28	N/A	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Babcock Access at Coralville Lake in Johnson County, IA on July 28, 1979.	Halmi, Nicholas S.	Golden Eagle	Babcock Access	n. of Babcock L. access, Coralville Reservoir, Johnson Co.	reservoir tail waters after dead trees in west and of Coralville Reservoir floodplain	The documentation form by Nicholas Halmi is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Buteo: size, profile. Bald Eagle, imm: distribution of white feathers, notably white tail base much more distinct and [illegible] in golden. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 13:25:00/14:10:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Coralville Reservoir, 1979	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1979-02-11	1979-02-12	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Coralville Reservoir in Johnson County, IA on February 11, 1979.	Newlon, Michael C.	Golden Eagle	Coralville Lake	farm country between Rt. 6 and the Coralville Reservoir, Johnson Co IA	An area of mixed cropland and timber south of the Iowa River; just to the north is an extensive area of public land, with mixed fields and woods; to the south are farms on flatter land, with much less timber.	The documentation form by Mike Newlon is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Rick Hollis and Carl Bendorf. \| Elimination of similar species: large size and slow wingbeat rule out buteos, as do the dark primaries and secondaries (melanistic redtails and roughlegs have white in the flight feathers). \| The original documentation form event lasted from 11:10:00/11:11:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Hanover Township in Allamakee County, 1978	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1978-11-11	1978-12-01	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for two Golden Eagles at Hanover Township in Allamakee County, IA on November 11, 1978.	Koenig, Darwin	Golden Eagle	Hanover Township	Allamakee County, Hanover Twp.	rugged hills with open fields and timber interspersed. Soaring along a long ridge which rises about 200 ft above the Upper Iowa River valley	The documentation form by Darwin Koenig is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Rough-legged Hawk (dark phase) --smaller, different proportions (long, narrow, tapered wings, small head, and bill), underwings usually have more white and the white patches rarely show on the upper wing surface. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 14:00:00/14:05:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle near Waukon, 1978	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1978-03-26	1978-03-27	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle near Waukon in Allamakee County, IA on March 26, 1978.	Schaufenbuel, Joseph P.	Golden Eagle	Waukon	Ten miles North of Waukon, on Highway 76, Allamakee County, Iowa	The general area under the soaring bird was a bluff, covered mostly with Oak, Maple, Birch and scattered Junipers. The bluff rises about 150 feet from the floodplain of the Upper Iowa River. There are many other bluffs similar to the one briefly described here, that surround the area of sighting.	The documentation form by Joe Schaufenbuel is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Alan Branhagen. \| Elimination of similar species: Bald Eagle; my bird was not mottled as an immature Bald is, also my bird had totally dark under wing coverts. The distinct demarcation of light to dark on my bird also was rather un-Baldlike. Since an on the spot size comparison was made with a buteo, and the latter was found to be much smaller, I feel safe to say all others of this genus can be rolled out. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 08:15:00/08:25:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Johnson County, 1978	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1978-02-19	1978-03-01	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Johnson County, IA on February 19, 1978.	DeCoster, R. J. (Richard Joseph)	Golden Eagle	Johnson County	4.9 mi west of jct. of F20 and W48 in Johnson Co. Iowa. The bird was in trees between F20 and the Iowa River bed.	The bird was perched on the north edge of a stand of trees bordering the Iowa River. Snow covered cornfields were n. of trees.	The documentation form by Richard DeCoster is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Michael Newlon. \| Elimination of similar species: Dark phased rough-legged hawk lacks the white wing patches on upper wing surface and is not twice the length of common crow. Also usually has dark upper tail surface. Immature Bald Eagle lacks prominent white wing patches and base of bill not yellow. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 09:45:00/10:00:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at the Dupont Bridge in Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area, 1978	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1978-02-19	N/A	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at the Dupont Bridge in the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area in Johnson County, IA on February 19, 1978.	Newlon, Michael C.	Golden Eagle	Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area	1/2 mile south of Johnson Co. Rd. F-20, 4.9 mi. w. of the crossroad leading to the Dupont Bridge.	General: border between an extensive tract of riverbottom forest and a half-mile stretch of corn and soybean fields (with large patches of unharvested beans). At the north edge of the fields was a road, followed by a wooded ridge. Specific: Perched at the edge of a narrow screen of trees that extended out from the forest, between two fields. [drawing]	The documentation form by Michael Newlon is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. Other observers include Richard DeCoster. \| Elimination of similar species: The three species with which confusion is most likely are the bald eagle (imm) and red-tailed and rough-legged hawks (dark-phase). Several points rule out these species. (1) Size: the body length of the bird was 2&1/2-3 times that of a crow that perched in the same tree; the two hawks are not nearly this large. (2) tail pattern: imm. bald eagles sometimes show tails that are darker at the tip than at the base, but all such individuals that I have seen have had a gradual transition from dark to light, rather than the sharp boundary that this bird showed. Adult melanistic redtails usually have red tails; imm birds should show dark tails crossed by darker bands. (3) Wing pattern: imm bald eagles have white in the wing, but this is usually in the wing-lining rather than the primaries and secondaries; dark-phase rough-legs usually have the primaries and secondaries entirely white. (4) build: bald eagle has longer neck, and more massive head and bill, than golden; this bird had the general proportions of a buteo. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 09:00:00/09:30:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Kent Park, 1975	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1975-12-06	1975-12-08	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Kent Park in Johnson County, IA on December 6, 1975.	Newlon, Michael C.	Golden Eagle	F W Kent County Park	Kent Park, ~10 miles west of Iowa City IA	soaring over area of stubble fields, old fields growing up to brush, farms	The documentation form by Michael C. Newlon is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: 'ringed' tail, proportion of head, neck, bill; lack of any white in wing-lining on body plumage: all eliminate imm. bald eagle. great size, lack of white in primaries eliminate black rough-leg. \| The original documentation form event occurred between 13:30:00/14:35:00 (seen twice) (total ~ 20 minutes).	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Coralville Reservoir, 1975	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1975-10-28	1975-11-20	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Coralville Reservoir in Johnson County, IA on October 28, 1975.	Newlon, Michael C.	Golden Eagle	Coralville Lake	Coralville Reservoir, NW of Iowa City, IA	Coralville Res. - wooded ridge to N., extensive water and bare grassy flats in Res. area, then farmland to S.	The documentation form by Michael C. Newlon is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: imm. Bald Eagle; proportions of head, neck and tail, no white in wing-linings black r-l hawk: lack of any white in primaries and secondaries, large size. \| The original documentation form event occurred around 11:00:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31
Rare bird documentation form for Golden Eagle at Macbride Recreation Area, 1975	Field notes	Birds--Identification Ornithology Rare birds	1975-03-19	N/A	Rare birds documentation form	Rare bird documentation form for a Golden Eagle at Macbride Recreation Area northeast of North Liberty in Johnson County, IA on March 19, 1975.	Halmi, Nicholas S.	Golden Eagle	Macbride Nature Recreation Area	over Univ. of Iowa Macbride Campus, NE of North Liberty, Iowa	over park with deciduous woods and clumps of planted conifers, between Coralville Reservoir and Lake Macbride	The documentation form by Nicholas S. Halmi is the only one submitted and forms the basis of this record. \| Elimination of similar species: Much larger than dark-phase Rough-legged Hawk. White on wing the reverse of that in imm. Bald Eagle. Tail larger in relation to body than in Bald Eagle, not mottled but distinctly banded. General plumage lighter than that of imm. Bald Eagle. \| The original documentation form event lasted from 14:10:00/14:15:00.	Iowa Ornithologists' Union \| MS 166	33	31