Yes I guess it is of interest. We people like to make sometimes arbitrary
definitions of phenomena. My recollection of this issue was that this form
of "clustering" only refers to mass roosting (overnight) of these birds, in
a way that they are basically huddled on top of each other, as shown in the
Black-faced Woodswallows photo. I recall that roosting parallel along a
branch in close contact, as White-breasted Woodswallows so often do in the
daytime, does not count in that definition. Good that Steve shrinks his
photos he says each one was night time, but either way (White-breasted w/s
clustered p.m. along branch) looks like normal daytime perching, (hardly odd
that they might do the same at night), rather than this type of clustering.
So I suspect Graeme is still correct.
Philip
-----Original Message-----
From: William Stephinson
Sent: Monday, 23 June 2014 12:24 PM
To: canberrabirds chatline
Subject: of interest?
Some years ago when away "looking for the night parrot" with Graeme
Chapman (!!!!),
Graeme said only 3 of our wood swallow sp. clustered when roosting. What say
you Mark C?
The attached show 3 that I think have roosted o/night
1 - Little w/swallows clustered in hollow tree p.m. - early a.m. photo
as flying out .
2 - Black-faced w/s clustered p.m. under branches - photo G.C. - tree
now bulldozed, Yowah opal mines.
3 - White-breasted w/s clustered p.m. along branch.
I note that M. Morcombe in field guide says that Dusky w/s cluster at night.
Any thoughts welcome.
Steve.
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