Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Rusty Blackbird
Scientific name:	Euphagus carolinus
Date:	19 December 2022
Time:	10:14am
Length of time observed:	35 minutes
Number:	1
Age:	Adult
Sex:	female
Location:	SLC WTP
County:	Salt Lake
Latilong:	40.812093, -111.929463
Elevation:	4,216'
Distance to bird:	10 feet
Optical equipment:	10x42 binoculars
Weather:	Sunny, Clear and cold. 23 degrees
Light Conditions:	Bright light, but bird often in shaded bank of canal
Description: Size of bird:	Pretty much same size as nearby red-winged blackbirds. While she was not part of the red-winged/brewer’s flock, she loosely associated with them. Good comparison for size.
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Blackbird shape
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	In shaded areas, looked dark with an obvious eyestripe. In better light could see the rufous, buff and gray patterning
(Description:) Bill Type:	Thin and sharp with a slight droop
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	Bill: Thin, with an ever-so-slight droop. Eye: Noticeably pale eye contrasting with a darker lower face and a bright buffy supercilium. Coloration: Rust-colored cap, back of neck and shoulders moving into a gray rump and tall. Could clearly see rufous edges on the tertials. See photos. Throat buffy, moving into a rufous and gray mottled breast
Song or call & method of delivery:	Only heard the chek chek call.
Behavior:	Feeding on rafts made of floating reeds and human garbage.
Habitat:	Sewage canal with reeds and phrags on the steep sides. The west side habitat included Russian olive trees and rabbit brush on the little bit of land next to all the construction and concrete of the plant. The east side habitat consists of frozen mud playa with pickleweed.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Brewers blackbird eliminated by bill: very straight and thicker. Adult female has a dark eye in a dark face, unlike the Rusty’s pale eye below a bright buffy supercilium. Brewers female overall uniformly dark-- no rufous or buffy coloration. Red winged blackbird. Female coloration very bold: heavily striped breast, bright rufous on scapulars. Bill straight and thick compared to the Rusty’s thinner ever so slightly drooped bill (more noticeable in photos). Throat and breast heavily striped on a light background, overall very rufous.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Similar species: Brewer’s and Red-winged are ubiquitous and easily identified. The last time I saw a Rusty BB was at Sand Hollow in March 2021. Pretty much identical female to the current sighting.
References consulted:
Description from:	Notes taken at the time of the sighting From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Lauri Taylor
Observer's address:	3990 S. Parkview Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84124
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	First seen by Jack Skalicky on the Christmas Bird Count.
Date prepared:	12/21/2022
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	[eBird checklist\