Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2015-35
| Common name: |
Northern Parula |
| Scientific name: | Setophaga americana |
| Date: | 10-27-2015 |
| Time: | 1pm |
| Length of time observed: | 2 minutes, then refound 45 minutes later and observed for 5 more minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Hatch Year |
| Sex: | ? |
| Location: | Bountiful Pond |
| County: | Davis |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | 4250ft |
| Distance to bird: | closest look was less than 3m |
| Optical equipment: | Nikon 10x50 Binoculars, Canon SX50 hs Digital Camera |
| Weather: | Sunny,breezy, 65F |
| Light Conditions: | Excellent |
| Description: Size of bird: | Small passerine-4.5in |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | typical warbler |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | bright yellow throat and breast, white belly and undertail, blue head and olive back |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | typical warbler |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
What first caught my eye in the field was the bright yellow throat and breast,
with a hind of orange tint to it, contrasting with bright white belly and
undertail coverts. Later saw the eye arcs, blueish head, white wing bars, yellow
lower mandible and olive back. Very distictive (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | none heard |
| Behavior: | flitting around, mostly in the tree tops, but came down to mid level and gave great looks eventually |
| Habitat: | Canal grown with willows and Russian Olives, on the eastern edge of a huge wetland. Known migrant trap |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
No other warbler has a similar pattern (see above), so ID was straight forward. Finding the bird was the challenge. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Yes, saw an adult male a few year back up City Creek |
| References consulted: | 'The Sibley eGuide to Birds of North America' App. |
| Description from: | From photo(s) taken at the time of the sightin |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 688 East 700 South #105, SLC, UT 84102 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | First found and reported earlier in the day by Michael San Miguel, late relocated by Shyloh Robinson and Stephanie Greenwood. I later ran into Michael San Miguel and we observed the bird again at close range |
| Date prepared: | 10-27-2015 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional_Comments: |