| Common Name | Yellow-headed Blackbird |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 12/31/2022 |
| Media | 1767219095-IMG_5212-2.MOV |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Liz Lackey |
| Mailing Address | 772 Brush Hill Stowe, VT 05672 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 01/19/2023 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Stu and Sue Johnson saw and made the video of this bird at their feeder. They gave me permission to submit the sighting on their behalf. I did not see the bird. Their address (and location of sighting) is 2900 Seth Warner Memorial Highway (Rt 30), Cornwall, VT 05753 (Sue is Cornwall's townclerk.) I do not have their emails. |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43°57’25.92”N |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 73°12'36.36"W |
| Place Name | 2700 Seth Warner Memorial Highway (Rt.30) |
| Township | Cornwall |
| County | Addison |
| Time of Day | 03:27 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | 10 secs (video) |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 4 feet |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 3 feet |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | IPhone video was taken. The feeder the bird appeared at is a platform feeder adjacent to a big picture window. |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Stu and Sue Johnson are familiar with their common feeder birds. They recognized this bird as being very different than anything they'd seen before. They sent the video to their brother-in-law, who happens to be a friend of mine, Geoff LeBaron, director of the Audubon's CBC. He immediately saw that it was a Yellow-headed Blackbird and contacted me. I went down to Cornwall the next day to see if the bird was still around but they had not seen it since. I also got a chance to check out the feeder set up. I've been to Stu and Sue's house before as I had met them thru Geoff on previous occasions. I gave them my cell number so they could text me if it did reappear. To date (1/19/23) I have not heard from them. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Stu and Sue live on an old farm and used to raise beef cows. The area adjacent to their small lawn are pastures, and hayfields. There are a few single softwoods and hardwoods near the house. |
| Behaviors Observed | The bird first appeared with a group of 5-6 cowbirds. Stu and Sue had never seen cowbirds at their feeders at this time of year as well. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | The descriptions and information included above were presented to me orally when I visited Stu and Sue after I received the video from their brother-in-law Geoff LeBaron. They deserve all the credit for this observation and for recognizing that this was an unusual feeder bird. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | As reported above, they noticed it come in with a group of 5-6 Brown-headed Cowbirds, that were also unusual feeder birds for them. In the video you can see the Mourning Doves, RB nuthatches for size comparisons. |
| Other Notes & Comments | It appears to be a first winter male. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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