Philadelphia Vireo, Vireo philadelphicus
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![]() In September 2005, I was lucky enough to get these pictures of this bird, the first of its species ever recorded in Santa Clara County, without knowing what I was doing. The bird was in shade and I saw it only as a dark outline against a bright sky when I photographed it. Later when I viewed the images on my computer and compensated for the underexposure, the bird showed features inconsistent with the Warbling Vireo I expected to see -- dark lores and crown, a short bill, and extensive yellow underneath. I posted the pictures with a query about the identification, and though they are not the greatest quality, local experts found them good enough to call the bird a Philadelphia Vireo. Unfortunately the best efforts of local birders were not enough to relocate this great local rarity. |
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