It seems that in this case HANZAB hasn't really looked as deep as possible,
the Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World (cite) lists the two as "CAONHR
[Captive and ongoing natural hybridization reported]", however the only
notes that are added on its appearance were: "One reported hybrid looked
exactly like a Masked Wood-swallow, except it had a broad white eyebrow."
The references it cites are:
- Avicultural Magazine 1964 (p. 188),
---------- 1965 (pp. 116–117)
- Barnard, H. G. 1944. Hybrid Wood-Swallows. The Emu, 44: 154;
- Boehm, E. F. 1974. Hybridism in wood-swallows. South Australian
Ornithologist, 26; 167;
- McGill, A. R. 1944. Hybridism in wood-swallows.The Emu, 44: 153–154;
- North, A. J. 1909a. Hybrid Wood-Swallow. The Emu, 8: 224,
---------1909b. [On a hybrid Wood-Swallow]. Proceedings of the
Linnean Society of New South Wales, 33: 735.
- Sharland, M. 1972. The lure of wood-swallows. Australian Bird Watcher,
4: 213–219.
The two 1944 Emu notes are available at
http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/97/issue/4641.htm
McGill, as previously mentioned, refers to a diary kept regarding a mated
pair, along with a 1909 reference to North's writing in Emu and the Linnean
Society of NSW. The article describes this bird's appearance as: "It
resembles A. superciliosus on the upper parts, has the forehead, lores,
cheeks, ear coverts, and throat black, passing into blackish-grey on the
fore-neck; remainder of under surfaces ashy-grey with slight vinous wash;
under tail coverts pale ashy-grey; over and behind the eye a distinct white
eyebrow, but not extending so far onto the side of the crown as in A.
superciliosus." which sounds a lot like a slightly less extreme version of
Graeme Chapman's photograph.
PDF copies of these articles are available at
http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/97/issue/4943.htm (Notes and Notices) and
http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39831019 though the descriptions are
identical.
I cannot find an online copy of the Avicultural Magazine, though if you
have a spare $9,000 it seems like an interesting buy from Andrew Isles.
Boehm says "A hybrid Wood-Swallow which strongly resembled a male A.
superciliosus but without the eyebrow, and having a black mask like A.
personatus was mist-netted, banded, and weighed east of Sutherlands, S.A.,
on 8 Oct., 1972. The mask was margined with rufous instead of the usual
white margin. Weight of the bird was 38 grammes." This article in full is
available from
http://www.birdssa.asn.au/index.php/south-australian-ornithologist-pdf-s?id=116
Finally, since the merging of BOCA and Birds Austrlalia I have been unable
to find or access the archives of Australian Field Ornithology (previously
the Australian Birdwatcher) so I cannot offer any insight into what Mr.
Sharland had to say.
The upshot of all of this seems that hybrids between these birds have been
reported fairly often, a lot more than lots of species, however it is
surprising that there are so few offspring in the two species that are so
closely aligned in habits and habitats.
~Nathan Ruser
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
http://birding-aus.org
===============================
|
