ML128667501
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
We believe this bird is likely to be from the Petrochelidon fulva pallida group from Mexico and the southwestern US based on the relatively pale buffy orange coloration of the rump, throat and forehead, as well as the lack of any strong orange or cinnamon coloration in the flanks. These plumage characters were associated with three eastern vagrant specimens determined by mitochondrial haplotype to be from the P.f. pallida group by Engel et al. (2011). Engel et al (2011) further state that "Previous specimen records of vagrant Cave Swallows in eastern North America have primarily been identified as P. f. pallida, including autumn specimens from New York, New Jersey, Ontario, South Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio (McNair and Post 1999, Dinsmore and Farnsworth 2006, Spahn and Tetlow 2006, O'Brien 2007, Post 2008). There are winter specimens from South Carolina of P. f. pallida and an autumn specimen from Missouri in 1977 that was identified by measurements and plumage as P. f. fulva (Easterla 2008)." Comments on subspecific identification welcome. Reference: Engel, J.I., M.H. Hennen, C.C. Witt, and J.D. Weckstein. 2011. Affinities of Three Vagrant Cave Swallows from Eastern North America. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 123(4): 840-845. -Matthew Sarver and Lauren Morgens
Technical information
- Model
- NIKON D7000
- ISO
- 640
- Focal length
- 340 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/6.3
- Shutter speed
- 1/1250 sec
- Dimensions
- 717 pixels x 566 pixels
- Original file size
- 60.96 KB