Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Prothonotary Warbler
Scientific name:	Protonotaria citrea
Date:	June 4, 2022
Time:	10:15 AM
Length of time observed:	3-4 minutes
Number:	1
Age:	Unknown
Sex:	Unknown, possibly female
Location:	Matheson Wetlands Preserve, Moab
County:	Grand
Latilong:	38º 34' 35.50" N, 109º 34' 18.78" W
Elevation:	3960 ft
Distance to bird:	3-4 meters
Optical equipment:	Leica 8x32 binoculars
Weather:	Sunny, 76 F
Light Conditions:	Shade of cottonwood trees
Description: Size of bird:	Larger warbler size, >5
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Heavy-bodied warbler
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Bright yellow head and breast, white undertail coverts, gray blue wings, olive-yellow back
(Description:) Bill Type:	Pointy and relatively long and heavy
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	Warbler with bright golden-yellow head, black eye and dark, pointy bill on plain yellow face. No streaking on breast, facial markings or eye ring/spectacles. Distinct white undertail coverts, demarcation starting near black legs. White undertail outlined with dark tips and edges of retrices. Assumed yellow warbler at first glance but immediately noticed the white undertail. Blue-gray wings and olive back without wing bars. Some olive extending onto back of head so possibly female. Not vocalizing. Seen by two of us- good long looks for several minutes- while the bird foraged for insects in lower branches of cottonwoods on the gasline corridor about 100m north of old barn. Returned with camera about an hour later but could not relocate the bird.
Song or call & method of delivery:	None
Behavior:	Foraging for insects in cottonwood branches. Typical warbler behavior flitting about leaves and branches, picking insects off of leaves. Silent.
Habitat:	Lower branches of cottonwood tree near gasline corridor. Many cottonwoods, russian olive trees, and open meadow nearby
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Yellow warbler, Wilson s warbler, Blue-winged warbler, Pine warbler, Yellow-throated vireo. The bird in view had no facial markings or streaking on the breast, no wing bars, no eye-ring or spectacles .
Previous experience with this & similar species:	First sighting
References consulted:	Sibley Guide to Birds of North America, Merlin Bird ID, Cornell Birds of the World
Description from:	Notes made later
Observer:	Kristen Hayes
Observer's address:	542 Nichols Ln
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	Mike Bassett- husband, same address
Date prepared:	June 7, 2022
Additional material:
Additional comments:	Notes about the sighting were made approximately 15 minutes after the sighting, when we returned to the truck.