Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2018-74
| Common name: |
Winter Wren |
| Scientific name: | Troglodytes Hiemalis |
| Date: | 12/17/2018 |
| Time: | 9:55 AM |
| Length of time observed: | 60 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | |
| Sex: | |
| Location: | 40.235,-111.725 |
| County: | UT |
| Latilong: | 6, SLC-Provo |
| Elevation: | |
| Distance to bird: | 5 feet - 40 feet |
| Optical equipment: | 8x40 binoculars |
| Weather: | Overcast |
| Light Conditions: | Plenty of light |
| Description: Size of bird: | Golf ball sized |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Very round, Wren shaped Golf ball with short tail angled up |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Brown with dark barring on wings |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Thin and short |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Bird is very small (golf ball sized) and is brown overall. Lighter brown on
throat with some small white spots in the more darkly barred wings. Faint white
eyebrow. Black bill. Very short tail almost constantly vertical or angled. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: |
"Check-check....check-check..." Most of the time. At one point the call
changed to more of a faster paced "kit-kit-kit-kit....kit-kit-kit-kit" (see video1 & see video2) |
| Behavior: | Moving rapidly from location to location. Almost entire time was spent on the ground at the base of bushes and trees. A few minutes were spent calling higher up in some branches. |
| Habitat: | Spent entire time on the ground by or in the bushes on the bank of Provo River. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Very small bird with tail elevated - obviously a Wren. All but two species were eliminated because of the very short tail. The bird was determined to be a Winter Wren instead of a Pacific Wren because of the sound of the two calls it made. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
First time experience with Winter Wren but I have had experience with other wrens (Rock, Canyon, Marsh, Cactus) |
| References consulted: | Merlin Bird ID, iBird Pro |
| Description from: |
From memory From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Dan Carpenter |
| Observer's address: | 319 W 730 S |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Only an eBird representative looking at my photos and videos. |
| Date prepared: | 12/17/2018 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: |