ML59078571
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Unknown age, Unknown sex - X
- Sounds
- Song
- Playback
- Playback used
Media notes
This recording taken after bird came in to playback. ATFL also obvious in recording.
Observation details
Calling/singing repeatedly. Harsh, one, two, and slurred three-noted whistles, repeated every few seconds while the bird was vocalizing. Within each burst of vocalization the phrases remained the exact same and unchanged, although there was a bit of limited variation between bursts of song (for example, adding or subtracting a syllable). The bird was feeding actively and sporadically engaging in bursts of whistling. On multiple occasions I got point-blank views of the bird at 10 feet or closer. Habitat here was mesquite/juniper (with lotebush, acacia, and other shrubs intermixed) towards the base of a slope as it began to transition into more mature riparian. An active, fairly small vireo with no noticeable tail-flicking or wing-flicking. Short tail and bulbous head, overall coloration was a relatively uniform olive-brown. Two white wingbars were prominent, as was it's white eye ring/crescent (much more noticeable towards the back of the eye). Pale, whitish lores were also obvious at close range as was it's thick bill. It's overall plumage was superficially very similar to that of a RCKI. Proportionality, size, behavior, and vocalizations all easily distinguished this bird from a RCKI however. In addition to it's distinctive vocalization, all other (and more expected) vireo species were eliminated based on varying combinations of size, plumage, pattern, and structure. As soon as I played one song of playback from Sibley's iPhone app the bird immediately and aggressively came within a few feet of me, subsequently starting another round of incessant calling. I was able to obtain some IDable recordings of the bird with my phone but did not have my camera with me for photos. My attempts at phone+binocs photos were unsuccessful due to how active the bird was. Unfortunately, the bird was on private property in an area that is not accessible from a public road, highway, or right of way. Exact location of checklist withheld per our organizational protocol when conducting point count surveys.
Technical information
- Recorder
- iPhone 6
- Microphone
- Built-mic
- Accessories
- None
- Original file size
- 169.12 KB