Steven P. Hedges

    The tenth report of the Utah Bird Records Committee summarizes 46 records of 35 species that were reviewed by the Committee. Of those 46 records, 43 were accepted by the Committee and 3 were not accepted for reasons to be discussed later. Committee members who reviewed some or all of these records were Keith Dixon, Steven Hedges, Craig Kneedy, Ella Sorensen, Merrill Webb, and Clayton White. First state records were accepted for Scaled Quail, White-rumped Sandpiper, Yellow-throated Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, Cassin's Sparrow, Field Sparrow, and Hoary Redpoll, which increases the Utah bird list to 415 documented species.
    All records evaluated by the Committee are listed by common name and scientific name using the nomenclature and taxonomic order of the 7th AOU Check-list (1998). The following information is included with each accepted record: common name, scientific name, Committee number of the record in parentheses, the number of birds observed along with age and sex if known, date(s) of occurrence, location of sighting, all known observers in parentheses with the initial finder listed first, observer(s) who submitted written documentation of the record (doc: ), observer(s) who submitted photographs (photo: ), audio recordings (tape: ), or video (video: ) of the record, and any literature reference of the record published in American Birds (AB), Field Notes (FN), North American Birds (NAB), or Utah Birds (UB). Information for unaccepted records is the same as for accepted records except that names of observers and those submitting documentation are not included.
    The Records Committee would like to thank those individuals who submitted documentation of their sightings to the Committee. The Committee encourages all observers to document and submit a report of unusual sightings. Multiple documentation of sightings is often more valuable than a single report, since one observer may notice key field marks that are missed by other observers. Those field marks may be the difference between a record being accepted or not accepted. The Committee also encourages the submission of photographs, videos, and tape recordings, which significantly aid in the proper identification of records.

ACCEPTED RECORDS

PACIFIC LOON Gavia pacifica. (2-1994); one; 10 Feb 1994; Warm Creek Bay, Lake Powell, Kane Co.; (JSp,CP,CLa); doc: Jsp; FN 48(2):230, UB 10(1):9.
    Pacific Loons are recorded nearly every year in Utah, with most records from fall or spring. Record 2-1994 is one of the few winter records. Interestingly, this bird was observed together with a Yellow-billed (Record 1-1994) and Common Loon.

YELLOW-BILLED LOON Gavia adamsii. (1-1994); one; 10 Feb 1994; Warm Creek Bay, Lake Powell, Kane Co.; (JSp,CP,CLa); doc: Jsp; FN 48(2):230, UB 10(1):9. (8-1994); one; 2 Dec 1994; Warm Creek Bay, Lake Powell, Kane Co.; (JSp,CP); doc: JSp; UB 11(2):29. (2-1995); one; Wahweep Bay, Lake Powell, Kane Co.; (BG); doc: BG; UB 11(2):29.
    Yellow-billed Loons have been found nearly every winter in Utah since the state's first sighting in 1991. The majority of records, including the three listed here, have been from Lake Powell.

EURASIAN WIGEON Anas penelope. (2-1993); one adult male; 6-11 Mar 1993; Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab Co.; (DSW,DT,LL,mob); doc: DSW; UB 9(3):40. (3-1993); one adult male; 3 Apr 1993; Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder Co.; (CG,LL,JV,DT); doc: CG,DT,LL; UB 9(3):40. (5-1998); six adult males; 3 Nov 1998; Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area, Davis Co.; (EC); doc: EC.

HARLEQUIN DUCK Histrionicus histrionicus. (13-1993); one female; 25 Sep 1993; Antelope Island Causeway, Davis Co.; (ES,CK,mob); doc: ES; photo: CK; AB 48(1):132, FN 48(2):231, UB 9(4):63-64, UB 10(3):37.
    This bird was present for several years and observed by many people. It is the third documented record for Utah.

BLACK SCOTER Melanitta nigra. (6-1994); three females; 24 Oct 1994; Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab Co.; (JBa); doc: Jba; UB 10(4):59.
    Most sightings of scoters in Utah occur during the fall months, including all Utah records of Black Scoter.

COMMON BLACK-HAWK Buteogallus anthracinus. (3-1995); one-two adults; 5 May 1995 & 4 Aug 1995; Lytle Ranch, Beaver Dam Wash, Washington Co.; (SSu,PS,JC); doc: SSu; photo: Ssu; FN 49(3):281, UB 11(3)47, UB 11(4):64.
    Common Black-Hawk is now a regular summer resident of Beaver Dam Wash.

SCALED QUAIL Callipepla squamata. (7-1997); three; 9 Nov 1997; Blanding, San Juan Co.; (JiR,JeR); photo: JeR.
    Scaled Quail are permanent residents of southwestern Colorado, only a few miles from the Utah border. These birds were suspected of being from Colorado and represent the first state record for Utah.

HUDSONIAN GODWIT Limosa haemastica. (6-1993); one adult; 11 May 1993; Syracuse, Davis Co.; (CK,PP); doc: CK; UB 9(3):43. (6-1995); one; 29 Oct-5 Nov 1995; Antelope Island causeway, Davis Co.; (KE,JaR,VAS,LS,DJ,LJ); doc: KE,VAS; photo: KE,VAS; FN 50(1):86, UB 11(4):56-58.
    Record 6-1995 is only the second fall record for Utah. There are now six documented Utah records.

RUDDY TURNSTONE . (10-1994); 1-2 adults; 17-25 Jul 1994; Antelope Island Causeway, Davis Co.; (ARG,DBa,SBa,CLe); doc: ARG; UB 10(3):38. (9-1995); one; 10-21 Aug 1995; Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab Co.; (EG); doc: EG; FN 5091):86, UB 11(4):65.
    Ruddy Turnstones occur nearly annually in Utah and is likely to be dropped from the Records Committee review list on the Committee's next revision. Observers are encouraged to submit sightings of this species to the Utah Birds seasonal report editor.

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER Calidris fuscicollis. (8-1993); two adults; 1 Jun 1993; Great Salt Lake, Davis Co.; (PP); doc: PP; AB 47(5):1131, UB 9(3):44.
    Two birds were observed and heard by a graduate student doing shorebird research on the Great Salt Lake and are the first record from Utah. White-rumped Sandpiper is similar in shape to Baird's Sandpiper, but has a prominent white rump when seen in flight and its call note (clear high pitched jeet) is unlike any of the common peeps found in Utah.

CURLEW SANDPIPER Calidris ferruginea. (3-1994); one adult; 14 May 1994; Antelope Island Causeway, Davis Co.; (JSa,SSa); doc: JSa.SSa.
    This is the second Utah record of this rare Eurasian migrant. The first record was also an adult observed in mid May.

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER Tryngites subruficollis. (5-1995); two; 3-10 Sep 1995; Great Salt Lake, Davis Co.; (ARG,AG,SG,MM,JuR,JBy,DB,CE,MG,BF,YS); doc: ARG; UB 11(4):65.
    This is the third Utah record of Buff-breasted Sandpiper and like the first two records is from September.

RED PHALAROPE Phalaropus fulicaria. (7-1994); two; 19 Nov 1994; Antelope Island Causeway, Davis Co.; (TSa,KE,JBe,VAS,TB,SB,JO,JaR); doc: VAS; FN 49(1):75, UB 10(4):60.
    Red Phalaropes are regular fall migrants through Utah and are no longer being reviewed by the Records Committee. Observations of this species should be reported to the editor of the Utah Birds seasonal reports.

LONG-TAILED JAEGER Stercorarius longicaudus. (9-1993); one; 9 Jun 1993; Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab Co.; (SF,JBa,MD); doc: SF; photo: Jba; AB 47(5):1131. (12-1993); one; 10 Sep 1993; Price, Carbon Co.; (EH,NB); doc: NB; UB 9(4):64.
    There are now seven accepted Utah records of this rare summer and fall visitor.

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus. (3-1996); one adult; 28 Sep 1996; Brigham City, Box Elder Co.; (SH); doc: SH.
    This is the second documented Utah record of Lesser Black-backed Gull and the first fall record.

SABINE'S GULL Xema sabini. (14-1993); one immature; 25 Sep-8 Oct 1993; Antelope Island Causeway, Davis Co.; (DSW); doc: DSW; AB 48(1):133, UB 9(4):65. (4-1995); one immature; 10 Sep 1995; Quichapa Lake, Iron Co.; (SSu,SPH,VJH); doc: SSu,SPH; photo: Ssu; FN 50(1):87, UB 11(4):65. (10-1997); one immature; 20 Sep 1997; Quail Lake, Washington Co.; (JK,LW); doc: JK. (3-1998); two immatures; 14-15 Sep 1998; Tropic, Garfield Co.; (BM,PM); doc: BM; photo: BM; UB 14(2):25.
    Sabine's Gull is a regular fall migrant through Utah and is likely to be dropped from the review list on the Committee's next revision. All documented records have been immature birds. Adult Sabine's Gulls migrate offshore and are seldom observed inland.

INCA DOVE Columbina inca. (16-1993); four; 11 Nov 1993; Washington, Washington Co.; (JK); photo: JK.
    Inca Dove is now a well-established permanent resident of most towns in Washington County. This is another species that is likely to be dropped from the Committee's review list.

GREAT GRAY OWL Strix nebulosa. (15-1989); one adult; 16 Feb 1989; Paradise, Cache Co.; (EC,VH).
    There are several winter records of Great Gray Owl for Utah. The species breeds in southeastern Idaho, so nesting in extreme northern Utah is possible but not confirmed.

BOREAL OWL Aegolius funereus. (3-1999); one; 2-4 Apr 1999; Hell's Kitchen Canyon, Cache Co.; (WM,RJR,BD,JL,SR,TSl); doc: WM,RJR,BD; photo: WM; tape: RJR.
    There have been several reports of Boreal Owl in recent years in the higher elevation forests of northern Utah, but this is only the second documented record. Like the first record, this bird was photographed and the call was also tape recorded. Boreal Owls may be more widespread in Utah than known at present, but they are difficult to find outside of their breeding season. They call most actively in late winter when access to their habitat areas is limited by snow.

VAUX'S SWIFT Chaetura vauxi. (5-1993); one; 2 May 1993; Ogden Canyon, Weber Co.; (CK); doc: CK.
    Vaux's Swift is becoming a fairly regular migrant and the species of Chaetura most likely to be encountered in Utah.

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO Vireo flavifrons. (8-1997); one adult; 8 May 1997; Logan, Cache Co.; (NW); doc: NW.
   This bird was observed in a Logan yard for 10 minutes and is the first Utah record of Yellow-throated Vireo.

EASTERN BLUEBIRD Sialia sialis. (9-1997); one adult female; 20 Dec 1997; Logan, Cache Co.; (KA,RR,LAR,BA,BD); doc: KA,RR,LAR; photo: LAR; FN 52(2):232.
    This is the third record of Eastern Bluebird in Utah and the second December record. Previous records were from Moab and Beaver Dam Wash.

BENDIRE'S THRASHER Toxostoma bendirei. (7-1993); two adults; 22 May 1993; Beaver Dam Slope, Washington Co.; (DSW,DT); doc: DSW,DT; UB 9(3):47.
 
NORTHERN PARULA Parula americana. (6-1998); one adult female; 18 Nov-2 Dec 1998; Willard Bay State Park, Box Elder Co.; (KE,JaR,VAS,CS,mob); doc: KE; NAB 53(1):83. This is the second state record of Northern Parula. The first record was also from late fall, 12-13 December 1990 in Salt Lake City.

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER Dendroica caerulescens. (11-1996); one adult male; 22 Oct 1996; St. George, Washington Co.; (JK,LW,mob); doc: JK.
    This is the fourth documented Utah record of this rare vagrant. All previous records have also been fall males.

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER Mniotilta varia. (4-1999); one adult male; 11 May 1999; West Jordan, Salt Lake Co.; (SMH); doc: SMH.
    Black-and-white Warbler is one of the more common "eastern" warblers to be found in Utah. Most records are during spring or fall migration, but there are also records from December and July.

PROTHONOTARY WARBLER Protonotaria citrea. (2-1996); one adult male; 28 Sep 1996; Antimony Creek, Garfield Co.; (MSP); doc: MSP.
    This bird was observed for several minutes as it foraged in low shrubs along Antimony Creek and is the first documented state record for Utah.

OVENBIRD Seiurus aurocapillus. (5-1994); one; 10 Oct 1994; Horseshoe Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, Wayne Co.; (AS); doc: AS; photo: AS; FN 49(1):77, UB 10(4):62.
    Ovenbird is another "eastern' warbler that has become fairly regular in Utah and now occurs on nearly an annual basis. Most records are from May and September-early October, but there is also a 29 July record.

CASSIN'S SPARROW Aimophila cassinii. (6-1999); one adult male; 9-22 Jun 1999; Wah Wah Valley, Millard Co.; (SPH,LW,MS,TSa); doc: SPH; tape: SPH.
    This territorial singing male was found on a breeding bird survey and was present for at least 2 weeks. It is the first documented record of Cassin's Sparrow for Utah.

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW Spizella pallida. (4-1998); one; 26 Sep 1998; Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area, Utah Co.; (RJA,KJ); doc: RJA.
    Clay-colored Sparrow is probably more regular in Utah than indicated by the few state records, but can be difficult to distinguish from Brewer's Sparrow. See Utah Birds 14(4):61-62 for a discussion of field marks in separating these two species.

FIELD SPARROW Spizella pusilla. (1-1999); one adult; 9 Jan-Mar 1999; Provo, Utah Co.; (MW,mob); doc: MW; NAB 53(2):189.
    This cooperative bird was observed by many and is the first state record for Utah.

GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW Zonotrichia atricapilla. (15-1993); one; 14 Oct 1993; Kaufman Ranch, Black rock, Millard Co.; (ES,CK); doc: ES; AB 48(1):135, UB 9(4):68.
    Golden-crowned Sparrows have been reported more frequently in recent years which could be an indication of an increase in abundance, improved observer awareness, or a combination of both. Golden-crowned Sparrow is still the rarest of the four Zonotrichia sparrows in Utah.

HOARY REDPOLL Carduelis hornemanni. (2-1999); one adult female; 26 Feb 1999; Hyde park, Cache Co.; (GB,RJR,LAR); doc: GB,RJR,LAR; NAB 53(2):189.
    A female Hoary Redpoll can be extremely difficult to distinguish from Common Redpoll unless all fieldmarks are observed. This first state record Hoary Redpoll was observed by three observers, two of which had previous experience with both species of redpoll and were able to see the upper and underparts of this bird and note the key fieldmarks. The bird was pure white from the black chin patch to the undertail coverts, had a white rump, white tips on the tertials, and only a few tan stripes on the sides. In comparison, a Common Redpoll always has a few dark streaks on the undertail coverts and even more streaking on the rump and flanks.

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION UNCERTAIN

OLIVACEOUS CORMORANT Phalacrocorax olivaceus. (16-1989); 7 Oct 1989; one immature; Colorado River near Moab, Grand Co.
    Basis for this identification relied heavily on the thin white border of the throat patch. However, immature Olivaceous Cormorants lack the white throat border which is found on adults. A few Double-crested Cormorants also have a thin white line around the throat patch and could be mistaken for Olivaceous Cormorant unless other key fieldmarks are observed.

BOREAL OWL Aegolius funereus. (1-1993); one; 3 Mar 1993; Ashley National Forest, Uintah Co.
    Documentation for this record consisted of a single 30-second territorial call. While this record was very possibly a Boreal Owl, the Committee felt that additional documentation, either a visual sighting or tape recorded call, was need for acceptance as a first state record. Since this record, Boreal Owl has been documented in Utah by both photographs and tape recordings.

MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD Eugenes fulgens. (8-1998); 13 Jul 1998; near Washington, Washington Co.
    The Committee felt that the description, particularly of the tail, was not adequate to rule out the very similar female Blue-throated Hummingbird.

Observers cited: RJ Adams, Keith Archibald, Bob Atwood, Jay Banta (JBa), Dan Barnett (DBa), Sheila Barnett (SBa), John Bellmon (JBe), Nelson Boschen, Gordon Bosworth, Suzann Buntrock (SBu), Tim Buntrock, Dorothy Byrne (DBy), Jim Byrne (JBy), Jim Carlson, Ed Connia, Matthew deRosier, Bryan Dixon, Clara Elwell, Keith Evans, Shannon Fennell, Betty Fife, Mary Garcia, Erich Gilbert, Alan R. Godwin, Bill Grossi, Anna Gwiazdowski, Stan Gwiazdowski, Carol Gwynn, Verl Harchett, Stan Heath, Steven P. Hedges, VJ Hedges, Eddie Horvath, Susan M. Howell, Kevin Johnson, Dan Johnston, Laura Johnston, Craig Kneedy, Josh Kreitzer, Charles LaRue (CLa), Carol Lenz (CLe), Laura Lockhart, Jean Lown, Maxine Martz, William Masslich, Bernard Morris, Pauline Morris, Joyce Overdiek, Peter Paton, Clive Pinnock, M. Shane Pruett, Jim Redd (JiR), Jeanne Redd (JeR), Jack Rensel JaR), Stuart Reynolds, June Ryburn (JuR), Lawrence A. Ryel, Ronald J. Ryel, Terry Sadler (TSa), Jeffrey Saffle (JSa), Susan Saffle (SSa), Alan Schmierer, Tim Slocum (TSl), John Spence (JSp), V. Arnold Smith, Linda Smith, Carolyn Somer, Ella Sorensen, Mark Stackhouse, Yvonne Stroup, Priscilla Summers, Steven Summers (SSu), David Thompson, Julie Van Moorhem, David S. Wheeler, Lew Wilkinson.
 

*Source: Utah Birds 15(3-4):52-61.