Vermont Rare Bird Reports 2021

Nikon d500 with Sigma 150-600 mm lens (effective 900 mm focal length)

Bird was spotted very briefly on the afternoon of 11/18 and early morning of 11/19. Details below. Two or three Eastern Kingbirds have summered on our farm for the past five or six summers. I have also observed and photographed them in VT, NY, and DE.

Open farmland grassy pasture with mixed forest along perimeter.

Bird sat and rested briefly on electric netting fence. I observed it fly off the post and down towards the ground where it caught something either in the grasses or in the air, and then returned to its post. When it turned and saw me as I was taking its picture, it flew away. I did not see the bird again.

I did not hear any vocalizations.

I first saw the bird at dusk on 11/18 while doing afternoon chores for my goats. I noticed a flash of brilliant yellow on one of the pasture fence posts. I saw it for just a couple seconds and it was gone. I saw it again briefly the next morning, 11/19, in the same area just after first light. Again I was struck with the bright yellow, and this time was able to see the color was on the chest and belly. The light was poor but the head appeared to be a lighter color than the wings and tail. The last time I saw the bird, the afternoon of 11/21, I was on my back porch taking photos of some of my feeder birds and saw the flash of yellow again. This time I was able to get a better look through my camera while the bird sat on a fence post out in the pasture. The head appeared to be a medium, blueish gray color and there was a very strong black horizontal marking from behind and over the eye to the bill, which appeared to be black. The upper throat area appeared to be a lighter color than the head, either a paler gray or white. I could not tell what color the upper breast area was because of glare from the sun, but the entire belly and what I could see of the underside was bright yellow. The upper back mantle appeared to have some green mixed in with the blueish-gray, but it is possible that was due to the lighting. The wing feathers appeared brownish black and had some edging/scalloping that was a lighter beige color. Tail feathers were longish and dark while it was sitting. I saw the bird fly off the post, hover for a second or two, capture something in the air or from the tall grass, and land back on the post. When it hovered I saw some cream or white colored feathers on the outside edges of the tail, like an Eastern Kingbird, though it was very subtle and not nearly as dramatic as the tail markings of our summer Eastern Kingbirds. I was able to capture four rapid shots during this brief time before the bird turned and saw me with the camera and flew away. I have not seen the bird since.

Very similar size to Eastern Kingbird

blue-gray color, bold horizontal mark across eye to bill

I did not get a good look at the feet but they appeared black. Bill appeared black and sturdy.

Appeared to have a little greenish coloration within the blue-gray colors.

not well observed

Eastern Kingbird, Phoebe. Bright yellow color differentiated it immediately.

I uploaded my photos immediately to get a better look and made some quick notes. I then ran the image through Merlin photo ID which came back as a Western Kingbird. I consulted other birders in the VT Birding facebook group, where there was lively discussion as to which of the yellow bellied kingbirds it might be.