Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2006-36
| Common name: |
Mourning Warbler |
| Scientific name: | Oporornis philadelphia |
| Date: | Sept. 4, 2006 |
| Time: | 9:30 a.m. |
| Length of time observed: | 5 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | first winter |
| Sex: | female |
| Location: | River Lane |
| County: | Utah |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Distance to bird: | 15 feet |
| Optical equipment: | Pentax 10x42 DCF WP binoculars |
| Weather: | warm, light breeze, clear |
| Light Conditions: | sunny |
| Description: Size of bird: | large warbler (5+ inches) |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | songbird |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | olive, gray and yellow |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | thin, pointed |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Narrow white eye-ring, slightly broken in front and behind. Olive-gray head,
olive upperparts. No wing bars. Throat was a dull yellow, underparts were a
strong bright yellow without any markings. Pale eyebrow. Olive-gray on head extended a little onto the upper breast, which with the dull throat, gave the bird a slight hooded appearance. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | none |
| Behavior: | Foraging in low bushy branches. Moved in a slow, skulking manner. Stayed within the foliage, never came out into the open. |
| Habitat: | riparian - thick streamside vegetation of bushes and trees. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
MacGillivray's Warbler (first winter/immature) has eye-ring arcs, grayish-white
throat, and olive-brown hood that contrasts with the yellow underparts. Connecticut Warbler has a complete eye-ring, brownish hood. Nashville Warbler (immature) has complete eye-ring, gray hood, dull yellow underparts, and is smaller. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
adult Mourning Warblers in Ontario (1993) and Texas (1997) adult Connecticut Warbler in Ontario (1993) MacGillivray's Warbler - hundreds of sightings in all plumages |
| References consulted: | Sibley, Peterson, National Geographic |
| Description from: | Notes taken at time of sighting |
| Observer: | Joel Beyer |
| Observer's address: | 1719 Hillcrest Ave., Salt Lake City, UT 84106 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | twobirders@juno.com |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | |
| Date prepared: | Sept. 6, 2006 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: |
The bright yellow underparts are what initially caught my attention. On looking
at the bird, I immediately noticed the very narrow white eye-ring. It took two
or three careful looks to verify that it was indeed narrowly broken in front and back. This, and the sight hooded affect, brought MacGillivray's to mind, but I immediately dismissed this as everything about the bird seemed wrong for MacGillivray's. Rather, the feeling was I was looking at something I'd never seen before. Further observation just solidified this belief. |