Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Black-throated Green Warbler
Scientific name:	Setophaga virens
Date:	10/1/2022
Time:	10 am
Length of time observed:	visual 10 sec audio 30 min
Number:	1
Age:	unknow
Sex:	unknow
Location:	40.1664937, -111.7465531 [River Lane]
County:	utah
Latilong:	above
Elevation:	4500 ft
Distance to bird:	10 feet
Optical equipment:	8x42 Lieca
Weather:	calm
Light Conditions:	daylight
Description: Size of bird:	5 inches
(Description:) Basic Shape:	warbler
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	whitish underside, bold black flank streaks. Green auricular surrounded by yellow. Yellow crescent under the eye. Green cap, white breast with black at the top
(Description:) Bill Type:	short straight
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	whitish underside, bold black flank streaks. Green auricular surrounded by yellow. Yellow crescent under the eye. Green cap, white breast with black at the top. The vent was not well seen. Responded to zee zee zee zee zoo zeet call by darting out and landing about 10 feet above me. Stayed there about 10 seconds. I never saw it again. However, I heard it sing the zee zee zee zee zoo zeet song many times. The best recordings can be seen and heard at the 1:00, 1:04 and 1:15 minute marks. This song matches black-thoated green warbler recordings in both shape and sound. The songs in the recording with wavy lines belong to a white-crowned sparrow. The white crowned sparrow's song at times sounded amazingly similar to the black throated green warbler's zee zee zee zee zoo zeet song except it had a slur in the zoo note. Searched recordings on ebird and found two other recordings of the black-throated green warbler singing late in the year. One was Sept 16th in Michigan and the other was Nov 13 in Florida. Streaks on flank rules out Hermit Warbler. Whitish flanks and breast rules out Townsend's Warbler. Hermit x Townsend hybrids tend to have a wide yellow eyering, or at least the bottom half of a yellow eyering. Hermit x Townsend hybrids also tend to have pale lores. This bird had a distinct green auricular with a solid top edge that went all the way to the bill. This, and no yellow on the breast rules out most Hermit x Townsend Hybrids. Green auricular patch and no yellow on flanks rule out yellow-rumped warbler.
Song or call & method of delivery:	listen to audio [eBird audio] [Note from email: ] The best calls are 1 min in. Ignore the white crown songs. This was recorded while we were alone at the spot and no one within 100 yards by Von. Karen doesn't use playback when we are recording. We were sure that we were not picking up call back because the songs went on so long.
Behavior:	Flew to branch overhead in response to sibleys recording, moved around for 10 seconds and flew off. We could hear it singing intermittently on both sides of the river for an hour.
Habitat:	side of road next to river. box elder trees
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Townsend's warbler eliminated by no yellow on the breast and song Hermit warbler eliminated by streaks on flanks and song Townsend/hermit hybrid eliminated by lack of wide yellow eyering and song Golden Check warbler eliminated by lack of green auricular
Previous experience with this & similar species:	see list
References consulted:	Sibleys and photos and audio on ebird
Description from:	Notes taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Karen Welch
Observer's address:	11045 N. 5550 west Highland utah 84003
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:
Date prepared:	10/8/22
Additional material:	audio [eBird audio]
Additional comments:	Please be patient with the audio as the best calls are 1 min in.