Idaho Bird Records Committee
Rarities Report Form

Species: Northern Parula

Reporter:
Cliff Weisse
4125 Beaver Springs Rd.
Island Park, ID 83429
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

Other Observers: Darren Clark, clarkd@byui.edu / Doug Ward, ward@revettminerals.com

Date of Observation: 23 May 2009
Date Report Prepared: 24 May 2009

Locality of Observation: Camas National Wildlife Refuge

Habitat: Desert Oasis.  The bird was in Cottonwood Trees west of Headquarters

Conditions: Sunny and calm with very slight breeze.  The bird was in the canopy from almost directly overhead to 25 yards away and mostly in direct sunlight.  Sun was from above and behind observer.  I used Nikon Premier LX 10 x 42 binoculars.

Did you take notes… No

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work? No

Description: Small slender wood warbler with short thin bill and short tail.  Upperpartrs blue fro head to tail with the exception of the mantle which was washed with olive/yellow and contrasted noticably with the rest of the uperparts.  The head was blue with white arcs above and below the eye.  Two white wing bars were easily seen on the wings.  The tail from below was dark/blackish with white spots easily seen.  Throat and breast were yellow and there was a bars across the upper breast that consisted of one black and one chestnut band.  Vent, belly, and undertail coverts were white.  Leg and bill color were not observed.

Behavior: This was a very active bird, moving around constantly.  It sang several times (3-5) which is what called our attention to its presence.  The song was a high pitch, buzzy trill that ascended in pitch.  There were two distinct pitch changes, or steps up in pitch.  

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you?  
I didn't recognize the song when I heard it but I knew it wasn't a regular warbler.  Darren stated that it was a Parula song when I asked him what it was.  He first observed the bird and I came over to where it could be seen.  When I saw it, it was facing down and towards us and the yellow throat and breast, and black/chestnut bands on breast, blue head, and white eye arcs were visible immediately.  

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they?  No other North American passerine has yellow underparts with black and chestnut band across breast.  Tropical Parula lacks distinct bands on breast and white eye arcs, and also has a black face.

Experience with this species: This is the fourth Northern Parula I've seen in Idaho and I've seen several in NY, NJ, and WV.

General experience birding: 16 years

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you?  No