Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2002-19
| Common name: |
Hermit Warbler |
| Scientific name: | Dendroica occidentalis |
| Date: | April 25 2002 |
| Time: | 9:00 A.M. |
| Length of time observed: | 5 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | adult |
| Sex: | male |
| Location: | Top of Nay's Canyon in the Pine Valley Mtns. |
| County: | Washington |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | Appox 9500 ft. |
| Distance to bird: | 30-40 ft. |
| Optical equipment: | Swift's 8.5x44 |
| Weather: | cloudy |
| Light Conditions: | overcast but good light |
| Detailed description of bird: |
Located the bird near top of a conifer tree while it was singing a high pitched buzzy song which accelerated and raised in pitch the last few notes. The warbler had a distinctive bright yellow head with a sharply outlined black throat. Nape also black. Crisp white underparts which bordered the black throat and extented through the belly, vent, and undertail coverts. No streaking noted on the white underparts even on the lower flanks. Grayish-olive back with black spots running in uniform rows. 2 bold white wingbars. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | described above |
| Behavior: |
Quite active, flitting around the smaller branches at the top of a conifer. |
| Habitat: | High mountain conifer stand |
| Similar
species and how were they eliminated: |
Townsend's x Hermit hibrid. While hibrids may have same head pattern, usually have some yellow on breast below black throat. also show dark streaking in the lower flank area. have more greenish back. Black-throated Green warbler Shows yellowish underparts, more greenish back, bold streaking on flanks, Pattern in yellow face. Golden-cheeked Warbler has distinctive black eyeline, black back |
| Previous experience with this & similar species: |
seen male Hermit Warblers in migration in So. Arizona |
| References consulted: |
Peterson Field Guild Warblers by Jon Dunn/Kimball Garrett. Hermit/ Townsend,s Warbler Hybrids article Published in BIRDING Volume 33 Number 4 August 2001 |
| Description from: | Notes taken at time of sighting |
| Observer: | Terry Sadler |
| Observer's address: | 887 Germania Ave. Murray Ut. 84123 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | sadler@xmission.com |
| Other
observers who independently identified this bird: |
|
| Date prepared: | June 9 2002 (General Public) |
| Additional material: | |