Jerry - That barring is certainly unusually
prominent, but I think the explanation may be that according to HANZAB the W
Swallow has undertail-coverts ‘grey with black chevron-shaped
sub-terminal markings’. One of the drawings in HANZAB shows these
faintly. They are also just visible in this section of a photo in the NPI
book:
I am familiar with the P Swallow from Waigani sewage ponds on
the outskirts of Port Moresby. Not that that’s much help
here. The only useful illustration we had in those days was the small one
in Ernst Mayr’s Birds of the Southwest Pacific (left below). Brian
Coates’ photo (probably taken at WSP) is on the right.
From: Jerry Bishop
[
Sent: Tuesday, 4 March 2008 11:37 AM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Identification Help Sought
The son of a friend took the following photo
recently at Lake Tuggeranong.
What has got me going are the buff flanks extending
down to the bars in the undertail coverts. The only reference that I have
which illustrates a Swallow with barred undertail coverts is in Michael
Morecombe’s Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, 2000 – Pacific
Swallow (Hirundo tahitica).
If I am right in my identification it might
be a first for the ACT. What do others think?
Jerry Bishop
