Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2010-19
| Common name: |
Eastern Phoebe |
| Scientific name: | Sayornis phoebe |
| Date: | April 4, 2010 |
| Time: | 4 pm |
| Length of time observed: | 1 hour |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | adult |
| Sex: | |
| Location: | Antelope Island State Park |
| County: | Davis |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Distance to bird: | 10-20 yards |
| Optical equipment: | Pentax 10x43 DCF SP and Nikon 10x42 Monarch binoculars |
| Weather: | light clouds, 50 degrees |
| Light Conditions: | fairly bright |
| Description: Size of bird: | 7 inches |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | flycatcher |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | dark gray above, light below |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | flycatcher |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Dark cap, gray back, dark tail. Black bill, black eye, no eyering. White chin, light underparts, slight yellow tinge to belly. Light wing bars. Smudgy gray on sides of breast. (see photo) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | sharp chip call |
| Behavior: | constant tail wagging, flycatching from low branches and large rocks. |
| Habitat: | bushy trees in sagebrush/grass |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Say's Phoebe has orange underparts, Black Phoebe has dark chin and breast. Other flycatchers have eyerings and/or distinct wing bars and/or bicolored bills. Nor do they wag their tails. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Eastern Phoebe seen in Colorado, Texas, Maine, and Ontario. Other flycatchers and phoebes seen numerous times in Utah and elsewhere. |
| References consulted: | Sibley, NatGeo |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Joel and Kathy Beyer |
| Observer's address: | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Observer's e-mail address: | twobirders@q.com |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Steve and Cindy Sommerfield, Paul Higgins, Jeff Billsky |
| Date prepared: | May 10, 2010 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: |