Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Scientific name:	Dendrocygna bicolor
Date:	October 16, 2019
Time:	12:55 pm
Length of time observed:	10-15 minutes
Number:	1
Age:	adult
Sex:	female
Location:	Jackson Flat Reservoir (east end)
County:	Kane
Latilong:	?? [20 - Bryce Canyon]
Elevation:	5,000+ feet
Distance to bird:	Approx. 100 yards
Optical equipment:	8x binoculars and 15-25x spotting scope
Weather:	warm
Light Conditions:	clear
Description: Size of bird:	20 inches
(Description:) Basic Shape:	waterfowl
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Rich tawny color overall; back darker and edged with tawny.
(Description:) Bill Type:	duck-type bill (stlightly flattened
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	This description is taken from notes I wrote down at the time I was looking at it. Tree duck (based on previous experience); head was dark tan, kind of a butterscotch color; light tan or almost white on breast; bluish bill, and dark back with alternating tannish lines. Long neck (compared to other ducks) and bluish legs.
Song or call & method of delivery:	It was silent.
Behavior:	Just standing in a little bit of water, enough to cover the feet and then it just sat down in the shallow water. It never did fly or swim.
Habitat:	Jackson Flat Reservoir is a man made reservoir with a lot of open water to the west and a mix of vegetation to the east where there are fingers of water that extend toward a bike trail. The duck was in (or on) one of these fingers.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	This is the only tawny colored duck with a blue bill. About four other ducks have blue beaks (pintail, scaup, ruddy), but none of them are butterscotch in color. Plus this had a longer neck and longer necks than most other ducks.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Saw this species about 30 years ago in Texas, but the minute I saw it I knew this is what it was.
References consulted:	Kaufmann's Fieldguide to Birds and the National Geographic Fieldguide to Birds of North America.
Description from:	Notes taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	G. Merrill Webb
Observer's address:	1617 Renaissance Way, Springville, Utah 84663
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	Suzy Holt and two birders from SLC that I know of later (a couple of days after I reported it on eBird.
Date prepared:	October 23, 2019
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