Gooday Phil, Glenn, Mark and birding-aussers,
Thanks for your responses to my Swiftlet inquiry.
It was a poor sighting on the afternoon with no dorsal view what so ever. I
still lean towards Glossy but did not get any further sightings of the bird
or a similar bird, which of course was a pity.
However I did state clearly the brief ventral sighting I had in my original
email.
" All that I managed to pick up was the pale underparts of the breast and
belly with the remainder of the underparts being a sooty grey."
An excellent article on Swifts and Swiftlets exists in Australian Birding
Vol 2 No 3 Spring 1995.
"Swift action" by David Andrew.
On page 9 under Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta it states. "The
smallest swift recorded in Australia. In good field conditions, the white
belly is distinctive and diagnostic".
With this statement in mind my poor sighting may have proved to be a
relatively good sighting in respect to the circumstances at the time in an
open forest situation.
I believe I can therefore justify the lifting of the "sni" tag imposed on my
Swiftlet email 23 March 2001 with a firm sighting of the Glossy Swiftlet
Collocalia esculenta
During this last week some Swallows have started to arrive at Muralug
village especially along the foreshore, all Welcome Swallows Hirundo neoxena
so far. Remember to check them out if you are in the area there may be an
opportunity for a Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica. A record exists of three
skins and a clutch of eggs from Thursday Is. Refer Emu Vol 83 Part 4 Birds
of the Torres Strait. Draffan, Garnett and Malone.
Thankyou for your assistance.
Jon Wren
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