Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2020-33
| Common name: |
Cerulean Warbler |
| Scientific name: | Dendroica cerulea |
| Date: | August 20, 2020 |
| Time: | 10:30 am |
| Length of time observed: | 2 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Adult |
| Sex: | Male |
| Location: | Utah Lake Parkway Trail (North Shore) |
| County: | Utah |
| Latilong: | 40.361518, -111.873835 |
| Elevation: | 4488 |
| Distance to bird: | 10 to 20 feet |
| Optical equipment: | Binoculars and naked eye |
| Weather: | About 80 degrees and partly cloudy. |
| Light Conditions: | Cloudy bright |
| Description: Size of bird: | 4 and a half inches |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Warbler shape |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Sky blue/ white/ black |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Small and dark |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Adult male. Small warbler with horizontal posture, round dark bill, short tail, sky blue above with dark streaking on back, streaking on sides, white throat and belly, 2 bold white wing bars, thin dark necklace. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | None |
| Behavior: | Hopping along branches - midlevel of a small cottonwood tree. Hanging out with a couple of Black-throated Gray Warblers for a good comparison of coloring. |
| Habitat: | Small cottonwood tree along shore of Utah Lake. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Black-throated Blue Warbler male has a black face, throat and flanks, upperparts
are dark blue to blackish blue, white patch at base of primaries. Cerulean
Warbler has cerulean blue upperparts and a white throat, streaking on flanks and
two bold wingbars on wings not a white patch on
primaries. Black-throated Gray Warbler male has dramatic black and white head pattern with small yellow supraloral dot in front of eye; black throat. Cerulean Warbler male has cerulean blue upperparts and a white throat and no yellow dot in front of eye. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Black-throated Blue Warbler: Texas, Florida, Ohio. Black-throated Gray Warbler: Lots of sightings here in Utah - common bird. |
| References consulted: | Sibley Filed Guide to Birds, Stokes Field Guide to Birds, National Graphic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Internet sources. |
| Description from: | Notes taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Rachel LeBlanc |
| Observer's address: | Herriman, UT |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | |
| Date prepared: | August 20, 2020 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: | No_additional_Materials |