Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2019-21
| Common name: |
Palm Warbler |
| Scientific name: | Setophaga palmarum |
| Date: | 10/12/2018 |
| Time: | 1824 |
| Length of time observed: | 1 minute |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Unknown |
| Sex: | Unknown |
| Location: | Stone Mountain Drive, Springdale, Utah |
| County: | Washington |
| Latilong: | 12s 322860 4118512 |
| Elevation: | 4000 |
| Distance to bird: | 5m |
| Optical equipment: | 10x50 binoculars |
| Weather: | Clear |
| Light Conditions: | Toward sunset, sun behind our mountain at least |
| Description: Size of bird: | Small passerine |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Warbler |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Drab brown with yellow highlights |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Small and pointy |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
First seen naked-eye as it hopped along a branch of a cherry in my yard. Occasional chip notes were chunky - not too dissimilar from WCSP. Plain drab warbler with some yellow undertail and yellow vent. In low shrub at first and then flew into cherry and then low into juniper. Pumping tail furiously as it crept along branches. I ran and got my camera and tried to catch it but only managed to get binoculars on it briefly and no pics. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | Chips only, see above. |
| Behavior: | Pumping tail and creeping along branches. |
| Habitat: | Suburban shrubs |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Visually, several warblers are somewhat drab with yellow. Most similar to this bird and expected in this area are Virginia's Warbler and Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler. YRWA has yellow in the wrong area, however, and VIWA are grayer than drab-brown in my experience. The tail-pumping behavior was eye-catching and is distinctive for Palm Warbler among these species. The chips reinforced my ID, after the fact. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
I've seen several Palm Warblers in nearby Clark County, Nevada, as well as many Palm Warblers in my previous years of birding the eastern USA. |
| References consulted: | Sibley App, etc. |
| Description from: | Notes taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Jason Pietrzak |
| Observer's address: | PO Box 965, Springdale, Utah 84767 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | |
| Date prepared: | 7/7/2019 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: |