Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Northern Parula
Scientific name:	Parula americana
Date:	27 May 2008
Time:	morning, ca. 8 am
Length of time observed:	several minutes, on-off
Number:	1
Age:	adult
Sex:	male
Location:	Lucin
County:	Box Elder Co.
Latilong:
Elevation:
Distance to bird:	30 feet
Optical equipment:	Leica 10x42 BN binoculars
Weather:	sunny
Light Conditions:	excellent
Description: Size of bird:	smallish warbler size (4-5")
(Description:) Basic Shape:	warbler-shape
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	dark above, pale below
(Description:) Bill Type:	thin, warbler-type bill
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	Sorry that it has taken me so long to submit a report on this bird. These are the notes I took in the field: Green back. Blue-gray on head & wings (with 2 white wing bars). White eye crescents below eyes. Short tail. Yellow throat bordered sharply by blue gray. Yellow upper breast with pale gray mid-breast & belly. Blue gray collar on upper breast is thin & distinct) [I recall studying that closely in an effort to turn it into a Tropical parula--with no success].
Song or call & method of delivery:	none described in my notes
Behavior:	Gleaning for insects in an old tree.
Habitat:	Migrant trap: grove of tall deciduous trees (Cottonwoods, Box elder, Russian olive, etc.) around a man-made pond in a desert valley with salty soil. This is the tallest & lushest growth for many miles around.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	1) Tropical parula: Tropical parulas lack the blue-gray band on the upper breast and the white eye crescents. Nothing else north of the Mexican border really resembles the Parulas (the Crescent-chested warbler of Mexico does, but has a distinct white eyebrow stripe and a maroon breast crescent rather than a blue-gray band, plus lacks wing bars), but here are some vaguely similar birds found in our region: 2) Cerulean warbler: Males have blue back, lack yellow throat & have heavy streaking on breast & flanks; females lacks breast band, head color is wrong and have a distinct eye stripe. 3) Mourning / McGillivray's warblers: Both of these lack white wing bars and have greenish not bluish-gray wings. 4) Canada warbler: The Canada warbler has yellow eye spectacles rather than white crescents around eye, lacks white wing bars, and the breast band is comprised of black streaks rather than blue-gray band.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	I have seen it on its wintering grounds in Latin America plus several times back East.
References consulted:	National Geographic Society's "Field Guide to the Birds of North America" & Sibley's (thanks to birding buddy Larene)
Description from:	Notes taken at time of sighting
Observer:	David S. Wheeler
Observer's address:	2196 South 1000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Observer's e-mail address:	dswheeer @utah.gov
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	Larene Wysse was with me and able to observe the bird.
Date prepared:	15 March 2010
Additional material:
Additional_Comments:	Incredibly, I had my camera, but did not take any photos of this bird because I was looking for the Wood thrush reported earlier that week. I did take photos of mourning doves, etc... Also, there was a Black & white warbler nearby in the same grove, but I did not take any field notes on its field marks.