English and Scientific names:

Gray-crowned Yellowthroat - Geothlypis poliocephala

Number of individuals: 

One adult male.  According to Dunn and Garrett  "In northern populations there is a complete prebasic molt which takes place after breeding in adults".  Therefore this bird was in basic plumage. However, they say that a fall adult male is similiar to a spring adult male.

Locality: LOUISIANA: 

Cameron  

Specific Locality:

2? miles west of Johnsons Bayou, La., on the north side of La. 82 in the large field behind the "Trahan" house.              

Date(s) when observed:

December 22, 1996  On the Johnsons Bayou Christmas Bird Count

Time(s) of day when observed:  

Approx. 8:00 am

Reporting observer and address:

Curtis Sorrells

Kenner, La

Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

 

none.  Mac Myers was standing next to me and saw the bird but only
for a couple of seconds.

Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):

none

Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):

bright light but partly cloudy/cloudy.  The bird was to our west
in the open (no shade).

Optical equipment: 

Zeiss 10x40 B binoculars, good condition

Distance to bird(s): 

10' to 15'

Duration of observation:

8 to 12 seconds

Habitat: 

A large open field with many scattered, thick, weedy clumps
of Cherokee roses.  The impenetrable clumps of the thorny
bushes were about 15' in diameter.  The areas between the clumps
of bushes were short weeds and grass grazed and beaten down by
cattle.  

Behavior of bird: 

The bird had apparently been foraging in the interior of the thicket
and responded to a Screech Owl tape.  It came out and perched on
a branch at the edge of the thicket in the open except that the
rear one-third of the bird was obscured by leaves.  It perched there for about 10 seconds, then retreated into the thicket and was never relocated.

Description:

A large warbler,slighly larger than the nearby Common Yellow-throats.
The bird had a gray crown.  The throat and breast were yellow with
the yellow fading out on the belly.  The back and wings were a drab
olive-brown.  The bird had wide black lores or mask that extended
from the bill through the eye.  The guide books call this black area
the lores but the black area seemed wider and longer than just the lores.  There were very noticeable white eye crescents above and below the eye.  Sibley calls these a broken eye ring.  I did not  notice the color of the bill. The bird did not have wing-bars.
I did not see the rear third of the bird as it was hidden behind
some folage.

Voice:

none

Similar species:

I know of no other bird with the combination of a gray crown, wide black lores, yellow throat and breast, and conspicious white eye crescents. Dunn and Garrett state that the northern Mexico race (subspecies ralphi) "shows a distinct eye ring broken broadly in front by the dark lores."  The nearby Common Yellow-throat lacks the distinct eye crescents, and has a much larger, different shaped black mask (male only).  The immature and female Common Yellow-
throat have a complete but indistinct eye ring, and no black mask although the first year male can have some black on the lores and extending onto the malar area. A yellow-breasted Chat is superficially similar, but has a distinct white supraloral line above black lores and is noticeably larger.  The Golden-crowned Warbler has a similar yellow throat and breast with a broken eye ring and dark eye line. The eye ring and eye line are not as bright as the subject bird. The Golden-crowned also lacks a black mask and has dark stripes on top of the head.  The following warblers have eye crescents or eye rings.  Canada: complete eye ring, gray back, no black mask; MacGillivray's: female has a gray throat, male has a gray/black throat and upper breast; Connecticut: complete eye ring and gray throat; Yellow-rumped: gray/black breast and white wing bars; Magnolia: (winter) lacks black mask, has white wing bars; Nashville: lacks black mask, has more extensive gray on nape and side of head; Northern Parula: smaller, greenish mantle, bluish-gray wings, nape, side of head, and malar area, has white wing bars.   

Photographs or tape recordings obtained?

none

Previous experience with this species: 

none. After I had seen the bird and did not know what it was,
I went back to the vehicle and identified it in Peterson' Mexican Birds field guide

Identification aids:

at time of observation: Peterson's Mexican Birds field guide.
after observation:  Warblers, Dunn and Garrett (Peterson Field Guide Series)
Warblers of the Americas, Curson, Quinn, Beadle
The Sibley Guide to Birds, David Sibley, (National Audubon Society)
Birds of North America, (National Geographic Society)

This description is written from: 

Memory

Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain: 

 

Yes, I am positive of the identification.  As this is a short
sight record with no photos, video, speciman etc. I do not
expect this record to be accepted by the LBRC.  It is submitted to
have this valid sight observation recorded and on file.
Several hours after the sighting,  Phillip Wallace, David Muth,
Mac Myers, and I returned to the field and search for over one-half hour with the Screech Owl tape, but we were unable to relocate the bird.  On January 18, 1997, 4 weeks later, Phillip Wallace and I returned and again searched the field, but were unsuccessful in locating the bird.

Reporter: 

Curtis Sorrells

Date and time: 

October 1, 2007,  4:00 pm