Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
Noticed a Swift flying over our hotel and was surprised since I did not expect any common swift species in the area. I immediately called it out, observed and tried to get photos. Very large swift. I was able to observe it 3 times for about 20 seconds each over a period of 25 minutes. Although no size comparison was possible, my impression was that it was considerably larger than a Pacific Swift. Very distinctive shape. Cigar shaped body with long wings curved back. Tail short and square--not forked as in some swifts. Body black. Throat and undertail coverts noticeably white contrasting with black body. I noted that as I viewed the back that the center of the back was much paler brownish-gray contrasting with the rest of the upperparts. Flight was like a swift--zigzagging back in forth in flight. Bird has been submitted to New Zealand Records committee. A strong weather front passed the previous day and may have brought the bird. I am familiar with this species from seeing it in Hong Kong.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
- ISO
- 800
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/10.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/1000 sec
- Dimensions
- 1028 pixels x 665 pixels
- Original file size
- 311.29 KB