birding-aus

Starlings imitating Woodswallows

To: brian fleming <>
Subject: Starlings imitating Woodswallows
From: John Tongue <>
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:19:43 +1000
Hi Anthea,
Except for Starlings (it seems from this thread), and Swallows, Martins and Swifts.

John Tongue
Hobart


On Sunday, November 19, 2006, at 11:44  AM, brian fleming wrote:

Getting on for 40 years ago, I went on a BOC Beginners' Outing to Jumping Creek near Warrandyte. The sky was full of birds which looked just like Starlings - same flight silhouette and anhedral wing-angle - with the important difference that they had white tail tags and much faster zooming flight, almost as if jet-assisted. Maybe they were just a little chunkier than Starlings So I asked Roy Wheeler, who knew everything. His answer "Dusky Wood-swallows!" I have never forgotten this. I subsequently learnt that the Wood-swallows are the only passerine group of birds capable of soaring flight. They also have powder-down, I don't know why. They are still high on my list of favourites.

Anthea Fleming
in Melbourne

Lee & Margi wrote:

Hi,


Coincidentally, the day before this thread started I was driving home from work and while stopped at the traffic lights I noticed a bird flying over that had the shape and flight of a Woodswallow. It looked too dark for our
usual White-breasted Woodswallows so I watched as it landed on some
powerlines only to have my mystery Woodswallow turn out to be a Starling.


Cheers & Happy birding



Lee

Hervey Bay - QLD


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