Documentation of Yellow-throated Vireo
2007-142

Observer Information

Reporter:  Bill Maynard  1390 Farnham Pt. # 205,   COLORADO SPRINGS, CO  80904-5215
E-mail:  bmaynard99@gmail.com
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

Comments: This may not be a review species but there aren't many records for El Paso County

The bill on this bird was huge.
Time: 12:00 noon
Elevation: unknown
Other Dates: none
Nearest Town: Hanover
Independent Observers: Brandon first hear this bird sing and together we tracked it down, first sighted by Brandon

Materials Available

Photographer: bill maynard

Photos |

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Date Documentation Submitted

4/27/2007 8:14:00 PM
Click left or right edges of photos to move through all; click outside image to close