English and Scientific names:	Bell’s Vireo
Number of individuals:	1
Locality: LOUISIANA:	Vermilion Parish
Specific Locality:	Zaunbrecher Road, 3 miles W of Gueydan.
Date(s) when observed:	February 15, 2009
Time(s) of day when observed:	5:20- to 5:30 PM
Reporting observer and address:	Paul Conover Lafayette, LA
Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):
Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):
Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):	Sunny, afternoon light to SW, bird to NW. Great light.
Optical equipment:	Zeiss 10x40’s, Nikon d50 w/200 mm lens.
Distance to bird(s):	Average about 40 yards, down to 10-15 yards at one point in its flight.
Duration of observation:	About 10 minutes of intermittent viewing.
Habitat:	A thin strip of scrub, about 20-30 yards deep and ½ mile long running alongside a gravel road. The strip is thickly vegetated with short (10-15 feet) holly, oak, and privet trees and Baccharis shrubs among others.
Behavior of bird:	In response to an owl tape, a large flock of kinglets, Orange-crowned Warblers, gnatcatchers, White-throated Sparrows and Myrtle Warblers gathered in a think clump of trees near my vehicle. Through the branches, I noticed the movement of a bird working along the rear edge of the clump rather than coming out in the open, behavior typical of Bell’s. I saw a bit of color through an opening that seemed good for BEVI or WEVI, so I played a BEVI call. The bird worked into the open, and I took some photos.
Description:	Small vireo, about the size of a White-eyed Vireo. Greenish above, slightly grayer on head. Diffuse pale marking around eye, crescents above and below, thinning and interrupted broadly behind the eye, thickening ahead and joining in front of eye with slight dark interruption of eyeline. Broadly pale lores joining pale upper eye crescent. Flight feathers slightly duskier than mantle, slightly pale edged. Median and greater coverts tipped whitish forming 2 wingbars, wingbar of great coverts distinct, median wingbar indistinct. Rectrices colored as flight feathers. Underparts washed yellowish, brighter on sides and undertail. White chin and throat, whitish continuing down center of underparts, whitish vent.
Voice:	Voice not detected.
Similar species:	Vireo bill eliminates warblers, kinglets, etc. White-eyed Vireo: Whitish rather than yellowish spectacle, wing pattern differs from WEVI. Warbling, Philadelphia: Wingbars eliminates these birds.
Photographs or tape recordings obtained?	Photos
Previous experience with this species:	Many sightings in the west, and at least 10 previous sightings in Louisiana.
Identification aids:	None.
This description is written from:	Memory, photos.
Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain:	Yes.
Reporter:	Paul Conover
Date and time:	4/10/2009