Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2010-21
| Common name: |
Neotropic Cormorant |
| Scientific name: | Phalacrocorax brasilianus |
| Date: | April 29, 2009 |
| Time: | 10:53 A.M. |
| Length of time observed: | 30 minutes |
| Number: | 4 |
| Age: | 1st year |
| Sex: | |
| Location: | Winchester Park, 1200 West Winchester St. Murray, Ut. |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Distance to bird: | 20-30 yards |
| Optical equipment: | Nikon D300 camera; Nikon 80-400 VR f4.5-5.6 lens |
| Weather: | Hazy sun, calm breeze |
| Light Conditions: | Overhead diffused (thin clouds) light |
| Description: Size of bird: | smaller than Double Crested cormorants |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Cormorant |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | brown-black |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | cormorant |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Smaller than DCCOs,long tails, shorter mostly grey bill and lores, V shaped
borders on chin patches. These birds were compared to Double Crested Cormorants
by memory,observed at Willow Pond, a fishery less than a mile from this
sighting. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | |
| Behavior: | Sitting on wood snags, rocks; swimming (fishing as a group), taking small fish, flying short distances around the pond |
| Habitat: | Tiny man-made pond adjacent to picnic area in close proximity to the Jordan River along the Murray/Jordan River Parkway |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Double-Crested Cormorants observed within days of this discovery, at a trout fishery in the area: Willow Pond, Murray Utah. It wasn't until July,2009 that I asked the Utah Birding community for help in recognizing these birds. Eric Huish, James McIntyre, Pomera Fronce and others reviewed my photos and concluded these were NECOs |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
This was my first experience with seeing Neotropic Cormorants. Since that time, I have photo-documented NECOs three other times in the Salt Lake Valley, from this sighting, then August 24th 2009, April 18,2010, and May 2, 2010. |
| References consulted: | Local birders: Eric Huish, James McIntyre,Pomera Fronce and Sibley's "Field Guide to Western North America" |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Richard B. Young |
| Observer's address: | Sandy, Ut. |
| Observer's e-mail address: | richbyoung@isp.com |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | |
| Date prepared: | May 15, 2010 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: |