Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Rose-throated Becard
Scientific name:	Pachyramphus aglaiae
Date:	April 2000 (About 5 days after I had seen the female)
Time:	About 7:45 A.M.
Length of time observed:	About 8-10 minutes (my friend wanted to continue on our walk)
Number:	1
Age:	Adult
Sex:	Male
Location:	About 7 feet high in a small cottonwood tree in a river grove of cottonwood trees and tamarisk on the north side of the Virgin River between the Convention Center and the new Post office of St. George, Utah
County:	Washington
Latilong:
Elevation:	2700 feet
Distance to bird:	About 17 feet.
Optical equipment:	I didn't have my binoculars with me so it was just my eyes.
Weather:	A sunny morning
Light Conditions:	The bright sun was behind me, shining on the front of the bird, which was facing me.
Description: Size of bird:	6 or 7 inches
(Description:) Basic Shape:	smaller than Robin and more slender. Larger head, think-billed
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Dark gray back, slightly lighter gray tail, with black head, bright pinkish rose throat extending onto the upper chest, with very light gray breast.
(Description:) Bill Type:	Black, similar length of Tobin's but thicker
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	What really grabbed my attention was the bright rose color of the neck and upper chest. The second I saw it I knew it was a bird I had never seen before. I said to the lady I was walking with, "Stop, look at that bird!" She, not knowing much about birds, in an uncaring voice said, "It's a Robin." I replied, "Oh no! That is no Robin!" then I explained the differences to her. I did not have my bird book with me, but as I always do with a bird I am not acquainted with, I took good mental notes of its marking so I could look it up in my books as soon as I got home, which I did. When I looked in the book, as soon as I turned to the page showing the Rose-throated Becard (male) it seemed to jump right off the page at me. I knew that was the species. It fit in every detail except -- they are not supposed to be in this area, but I still knew it was the one. However, in the description of the habitat, they are in "river groves" and that is where I saw it.
Song or call & method of delivery:	Unfortunately, it made no sound while we were there.
Behavior:	It made no movement as it knew we were there and was trying to remain inconspicuous.
Habitat:	The book says, "Wooded canyons, river groves, sycamores." All that we have of that here, where I saw it was the river groves. This was in the trees and tamarisk of the Virgin River.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	It definitely was no Robin -- the Becard was smaller, slimmer and has a larger head. The Robin has white throat with dark stripes and a rusty-red breast where the Becard has the bright rose throat and very light gray breast. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a bright rose spot on the upper breast but that is lower down with a black throat and has a clear black upper back and tail with white wing bars and rump, also a thick very short pale bill.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	I never saw this species before. I have only seen the Rose-breasted Grosbeak in bird books. I have never seen any other species with that bright rose color on it.
References consulted:	Peterson Field Guides WESTERN BIRDS Third Edition Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston 1990 and National Geographic Field Guide to the BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA
Description from:	Notes taken at time of sighting -- Detailed mental notes Notes made later -- My computer had crashed at the time so I didn't add to my Life Bid List at the time. Later I got another computer and my Son-in-law got my files moved over. I finally got it added on. From memory -- Seeing such rare birds made such an impression on me, I remember it like it was yesterday that I saw them (I saw the female Rose-throated Becard a few days before I saw the male [the account of which is detailed in the accompanying papers]). Photo(s) taken at the time of sighting -- Unfortunately I did not have a camera with me at the time.
Observer:	Elva Carol Musig Christian
Observer's address:	246 S. 500 E. St. George, UT 84770 Ph. 435 674-3560 cell 435 668-2274
Observer's e-mail address:	I don not have it.
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	I am not aware of any.
Date prepared:	March 11, 2014
Additional material:	I am sorry I do not have any.
Additional_Comments:	I have been interested in birds and trying to identifying the ones I see ever since I was a child with a little book with only 55 pictures and names of them When I was attending Dixie College in 1957 I took a class in Utah Birds from Mr. Lorraine Woodbury. We used a FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS By Roger Tory Peterson, Copyright 1941. All these years I have kept up my interest in identifying birds and have collected other books about them, including the birds of Hawaii and also Australia when I was there. For qutie a number of years I helped on the annual Christmas BIRD CENSUS in the St. George area under the able leadership of Merrill Webb of Orem Utah. In the 1980's I was a member of the AUDUBON SOCIETY which was led by Neal Middlebrook and the Steve Hedges of Cedar City, UT. I have been Birding in Washington County for 48 years. I am submitting this information to the Utah Bird Records Committee. You may use my name, publish its findings, etc.