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Re: watch those swallows...



On Tue, 19 Nov 2002, Charles L Garrett wrote:

> Surely there are more than 10 accepted sightings for Cliff Swallows in
> NC. They are regular at several locations and have been for many years!
>
> Joshua S. Rose wrote:
> >
> >Cliff Swallow is on the official NC and SC bird lists, but the NC list
> >notes that there are less than 10 accepted records. The SC list doesn't
> >specify, I'd bet that there are even fewer.

Oops, yes. I was talking about CAVE Swallows, and got the names mentally
switched halfway through the message... Sorry for the confusion! Thanks to
Buddy, and Tom Joyce who e-mailed me off-list, for catching that little
blunder.

I should add that recent Atlantic coast vagrant Cave Swallows recently
have all come from the southwestern subspecies (Petrochelidon fulva
pelodroma) that breeds in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and northern
Mexico. Even the flock of 8 being reported in northern Florida was
attributed to this subspecies, and not the Caribbean one (P. f. fulva)
that breeds in Miami and points south of there. I'm trying to remember
the distinction between the two: one BRC report I found on-line claims
that Caribbean birds have a chestnut or cinnamon-rufous rump patch and an
orange wash to the flanks, while the southwestern race has white or pale
buffy underparts and a paler brick-red rump patch.

Hope somebody gets the chance to check!

Good birding,

Josh


Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/