Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2013-72
| Common name: |
Bay-breasted Warbler |
| Scientific name: | Setophaga castanea |
| Date: | 10-16-2013 |
| Time: | 8:45am |
| Length of time observed: | 20 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Hatch Year |
| Sex: | ? |
| Location: | Liberty Park, Salt Lake City |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | 4,300ft |
| Distance to bird: | 30ft |
| Optical equipment: | 10X50 binoculars,Canon powershot SX20 IS digital camera |
| Weather: | Clear,sunny but cold (40F) |
| Light Conditions: | Excellent, sun had just rissen and we saw the bird illuminated in the top of a tree |
| Description: Size of bird: | Small passerine |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Warbler shaped |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Olive-yellow head and back,buff belly and undertail coverts,blackish wings with bold white wingbars |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Short and thin,warbler like |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
When we fist saw the bird I noticed a Warbler mixed in with a flock of
Chickadees and Kinglets with a yellowish head and pale undertail covert,so I
thought it was probably a Townsend's. Then we saw the face had no black
markings. Next thought was a Tennessee, but then we saw it had wingbars,so then
I knew it was an unfamiliar rare warbler. I began taking photos, and Carolina
began taking notes of all the field marks. We both watched the bird for then
next 20 minutes. It had an olive yellow head and back,yellow eye ring,paler
yellow throat,buffy undertail coverts and belly,blackish wings with bold white
wing bars. Photos also show a splash of pink on the flanks. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | none heard |
| Behavior: | Feeding in the upper canopy of a Pine tree |
| Habitat: | In a city park planted with ornamental coniferous and deciduous trees. There is a large pond a few hundred meters to the south. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
After eliminating Townsend's and Tennessee,we arrived at the hatch year Pine-Blackpoll-Bay-breasted group because of the pale undertail coverts,wingbars and unmarked yellow head. I first thought Pine,but that was just a guess. A half hour after seeing the bird,we went and uploaded the photos onto Carolina computer and compared them to Sibley's drawings and online photos. We ruled out Blackpoll because the bird was not streaky,and we ruled out Pine because the bird had very bold black wings and high contrasting white wingbars. Also in the photos we could see it had black legs and a touch of pink on the lower flanks that supported Bay-breasted. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
none. |
| References consulted: | Sibley Guide to Birds,D.A.Sibley 2000,Audubon Guides-Birds app |
| Description from: | From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 688 East 700 South #105 Salt Lake City,UT 84102 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Carolina Roa saw it with me,later Matthew Pendleton,Shyloh Robinson,and Dave Thompson also saw it |
| Date prepared: | 10-16-2013 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: |