Documentation of
Yellow-throated Vireo
2007-142
Observer Information
Reporter:
Bill Maynard
Other Observers:
Brandon Percival, Brian Gibbons, Ric Olson; Brandon first hear this bird sing and together we tracked it down, first sighted by Brandon
Species, Date, Time and Location Information
Species:
Yellow-throated Vireo
First Date/Time:
4/27/2007
Last Date/Time:
Duration (total time in view):
one hour
County:
El Paso
Specific Location:
Chico Basin Ranch near Holmes corral, first in largest cottonwoods in area, later moving north to large stand of plains cottonwoods, and later into dense stand of Russian olives
Number:
1
Age:
Unknown
Sex:
Male
Plumage:
Other/Unknown
Habitat
Riparian coordidor, plains cottonwoods, planted stand of olives
Viewing Conditions
Optics:
Leica 10x42 Ultrvid binoculars
Leica 77mm APO scope with 32x WW lens
Distance:
closest was ~ 40 feet when it moved into the olives, otherwise as much as 120 feet when in tall tree
Light:
This bird was seen in poor light and in excellent light. It was moving a lot and mostly seen poorly in tall cottonwoods but later it moved into lower olives where I saw it well.
Description of the Bird
Large-billed vireo with bright yellow throat, and breast, with whitish belly. back gray-green. Crown, yellow-green. Yellow spectacle. Undertail coverts white. Legs grayish. Wings dark with two broad white wingbars. Bill dark and very long and seemingly wide. See photos.
Behaviors: Sluggish forager, mostly high in cottonwoods, but later in the PM in Russian olivers. Singing sporadically. Traveled widely through deciduous forest. Silent when entering lower storied olives.
Call: Yes song sung sporadically throught the afternoon. Loud vireo song, similar in cadence to Red-eyed Vireo.
Plumage: probably adult alternate
Similar Species Discussion
White-eyed Vireo has yellowish flanks but does not have a bright yellow throat. WEVI has yellow spectacle but white iris not present in YTVI. WEVI has very distinctive song not the "ask a question, answer the question" song of many of the other vireos
Pine Warbler has similar coloration of breeding males but bill never approaches the massiveness of this vireo bill
Resources Used
big Sibley
Previous Experience
I seen fewer than 10 of this species and none for a few years
Notes
Memory
Additional Information
Date Documentation Submitted
4/27/2007 8:14:00 PM
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