Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2025-69
| Common name: |
Chestnut-sided Warbler |
| Scientific name: | Setophaga pensylvanica |
| Date: | 11/27/2025 |
| Time: | 10:20am |
| Length of time observed: | 10 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | ? |
| Sex: | Female or hatcher year immature |
| Location: | Jordan River Parkway, South Salt Lake City |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Latilong: | 40.712097, -111.923309 |
| Elevation: | 4,300ft~ |
| Distance to bird: | 5m at closest |
| Optical equipment: | Nikon 10 x 42 Binoculars |
| Weather: | mostly sunny, calm, cool, 47F |
| Light Conditions: | Good |
| Description: Size of bird: | small passerine |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Shape: warbler like |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | yellow above, whitish below |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | insectivore |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
I had just arrived to begin a survey of the area, I when Igot out of the
car I heard the distinctive chip of a warbler, familiar but it took me a
second to place it. It sounded like the 'whet' chip of a Yellow Warbler,
which I haven't heard in a couple months. I then remembered that several
other warblers make an identical chip, especially American Redstart and
Chestnut-sided Warbler, so I went to locate the warbler, which sounded
just a few feet away. It quickly flushed from the junipers and flew up
into leafless cottonwood branches and I got the binos on it and
immediately recognised the distinctive field marks of a basic plumage
female type Chestnut-sided Warbler. Mostly drab whitish below, but with the distinctive bright neon lemon yellow above on the crown, back and dorsal side of tail, 2 wingbars that had a faint hint of yellow, also a faint hint of yellow near the vent. Bold complete eyering was also evident. I watched it for some time and got good photos, then resumed my survey of the site. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | Heard a distinctive warbler 'whet' chip several times |
| Behavior: | Initially in some junipers, flew up into some cottonwoods and joined some Kinglets, then moved off into another Juniper to the north |
| Habitat: | Riparian-Jordan River just a few meters to the west, but it was in a semi-cultivated landscape that had planted native xeriscape type vegetation next to an office building(Radius Engineering), and many tall native cottonwoods |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Very distinctive, no other warblers with similar field marks |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Yes many. I saw many in all plumages in Costa Rica last winter, my 4th in Utah |
| References consulted: | Sibley app |
| Description from: | Notes taken at time of sighting - Photo(s) taken at time of sighting |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 84102 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | none that I know of |
| Date prepared: | 11/27/25 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional comments: | eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S286378915 |