Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2012-41
| Common name: |
Baltimore Oriole |
| Scientific name: | Icterus galbula |
| Date: | 10-1-12 |
| Time: | 11:30 am |
| Length of time observed: | Seen several times throughout the day |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | |
| Sex: | |
| Location: | 425 Neil Armstrong Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84116 |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Latilong: | 40.778211,-112.009529 |
| Elevation: | 4226 ft |
| Distance to bird: | 20 feet |
| Optical equipment: | Binoculars, 400 mm lens on camera |
| Weather: | Mid 80s, clear and sunny |
| Light Conditions: | Noon light to dusk, clear and sunny |
| Description: Size of bird: | Slender bird, considerably smaller than nearby starlings |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Long and slender passerine |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Orange and black |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Pointed and thin |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Bright, deep orange bird with black wings with thin white wingbars. Head mottled
with black all over, from nape, heading down to olive gray/orange back. Tail
orange with tinges of gray but no black. Faint white mottling on the head around
the bill area. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | This bird made no auditory cues. |
| Behavior: | Feeding upon olives in russian olive tree, also gleaning the holes the nearby sapsucker had made. Periods of resting and grooming, followed by foraging. Frequently hung upside-down on branches during feeding. |
| Habitat: | Mixed habidat in industrial area, including phragmites, russian olives, cottonwood trees, and grassy areas. Bird had a preference for the russian olive in which a sapsucker had made claim. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Ruling out Bullock's Oriole: Wingbars too thin Smaller size Black mottling covered entire head area not just chin, eyeline, and cap as seen in Bullock's. No black apparent on tail Bright orange color would only be consistent with male Bullock's Oriole, and the black head patterns are not consistent with male Bullock's. Too deep orange to be Scott's Oriole Smaller than Scott's Oriole Winbars not consistent with Scott's Oriole |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Very familiar with Bullock's Orioles. Have been able to ID Bullock's Oriole's since they visited my childhood home. |
| References consulted: |
The Sibley Guide to Birds The National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Stephanie Greenwood |
| Observer's address: | 90 W 500 S #513 Bountiful UT 84010 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Tim Avery, Jeff Bilsky, Bryant Olsen, Jack Binch, Norm Jenson, Shyloh Robinson, Kenny Frisch, Steve Sommerfeld, Cindy Sommerfeld | |
| Date prepared: | 10-3-12 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: |