Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2018-69
| Common name: |
Winter Wren |
| Scientific name: | Troglodytes hiemalis |
| Date: | 11-17-2018 |
| Time: | 9:15am |
| Length of time observed: | 10 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | ? |
| Sex: | ? |
| Location: | City Creek Canyon |
| County: | Salt Lake City |
| Latilong: | 40.803963 -111.867972 |
| Elevation: | 4,800ft |
| Distance to bird: | 2-5m |
| Optical equipment: | Nikon 10x42 |
| Weather: | Overcast, lite snow falling, 35F |
| Light Conditions: | Poor |
| Description: Size of bird: | 4 inches |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Small passerine |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Overall rusty brown |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Thin-insectivor passerine |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
First heard the Wren, noted calls
seemed different than the Pacific Wren I had heard and seen a few minutes
earlier,less scratchy more of a chump than a chimp. played the Winter Wren call
on my iBird Pro app to compare and bring the bird in for a better look, noted
very small rusty brown wren with a short tail, but noticed throat was rather
pale with some whitish mottling, unlike the very rusty throat of the Pacific
Wren I had just had excellent looks at.I immediately got a recording of the
wren, and upon uploading and comparing the graph with other recordings on
Macualay Library, confirmed what I suspected in the field that this was indeed a
Winter Wren. I also managed a few poor photos |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | Heard giving distinctive chump calls and excited trill call, Chump call recorded. |
| Behavior: | Wren was very sulky, originally in thickets near the creek, but came in closer and even crossed the road, but always stayed low and in heavy cover. |
| Habitat: | Riparian canyon bottom |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Pacific Wren is very similar, and indeed they were considered the same species until just a few years ago,but Pacific has a scratchier, higher and thinner call. Also typically they have a very rufous throat and breast. This Wren had a pale throat with some whitish mottling. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
I've seen and heard many Pacific Wrens. This is my first time confirming a Winter Wren with a recording, although I've had a few suspects over the past couple years. |
| References consulted: | iBird pro app and Macaulay Library to compare calls |
| Description from: |
From memory From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 84102 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Terri Pope, Matthew Pendleton, Vivian Schneggenburger, Lauri Taylor were with me |
| Date prepared: | 11-17-18 |
| Additional material: | Photos, Macaulay Library record on eBird: Audio1, Audio2 |
| Additional comments: | ebird checklist with recordings: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50000506 |