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Bird Watcher s DIGEST

VOL. 37 NO. 4 MARCH & APRIL 2015 Bottle Plastic March & April 2015

10 Letters from Readers

Identify 14 Quick Takes page 2 Paul J. Baicich

After the Spark 18 Africa Reconsidered

Featured Stories Identify Yourself 2 Swallows The Backyard birdhouse Alvaro Jaramillo 70 My Cherry Amour 10 Five Haikus about Lori Joyal Swallows Daniel Gahnertz 78 Long Time Coming Todd Parker Profile 12 Belted Kingfisher 82 Saying Nothing Has an Kyle Carlsen Echo Al Batt 41 Bobolink Lessons Paul Baicich My Way 88 Watching is Good For 46 Ivory-billed Woodpecker Me Jerry Butler Neil Case

52 An Avian Battle of the Sexes Jerry Lang Columns & Departments 58 Warbler Walks, Owl True Nature Prowls, and Tally Rallies 90 Fledgelings 1. Carefully cut a round hole in the side of the Kevin Starner Julie Zickefoose bottle 58 Brittany’s Sept-Illes Bird Photography 2. glue Colored tissue paper to or paint the Preserve 94 Digiscoping Basics bottle Leila Belkora Tim Schreckengost

3. String a cord through the lid and hang it in a Far Afield tree outside 98 Adirondacks Alan Belford 4. Wait and watch for small to come Illustrations by enjoy their new home Heather Neil Watching Bird Behavior 108 Quoth the Raven David M. Bird Rethink your trash BIRD WATCHER’S DIGEST 1 Identify Yourself

Are swallows as a group easy to iden- as December. tify? Well, it depends on how well you Barn, cliff, bank, northern rough- know swifts. Both families are aerial in- winged, and tree swallows and the purple sectivores which are almost always on martin are found from the West Coast to the wing, although swallows, unlike the the Atlantic. However, the swifts, will perch to rest every so often has separate western, eastern, and desert during the day. Swifts are more mechani- populations, and these appear to winter cal and stiff-winged in their flight style, in different areas; the eastern birds in while swallows appear more fluid. Swifts the southern Amazon Basin, while the typically forage higher than swallows western population head farther south in very open areas, while swallows may to coastal southeastern Brazil; we do

Tree forage extremely low to the ground and not know yet where the desert birds in habitats with more obstacles. Swallows winter. This is one of the few instances tend to nest in human-made structures of a western population of birds that flies or banks, and the nests tend to be easily farther south than an eastern population! visible, while swifts hide nests in chim- Two other swallows are more regional neys, large hollow trees, bridges or cliffs. in their distribution. The cave swallow Swallows Swallows are widespread in North is found in southern , as well by Alvaro Jaramillo America, and all are highly migratory. as the south-central U.S., and the Here, there is no such thing as a resident Swallows are a well-known group of birds, and swallow. Nearly all Hear the author read this one of the few that names and describes the look of our swallow article in the app and of entirely unrelated birds. Think of swallow-tailed species—except digital edition! kite, or in other parts of the world swallow-wing, and the tree and swallow-tailed nightjar for example. Some swallows violet-green Swallows in Flight are straightforward to identify in their adult plum- swallows—head ages, but less so in duller plumages or at a distance. south of the border in winter, some violet-green swallow is distinctly Perhaps they are not usually thought of as identifi- heading as far south as southern Chile western, found from the Rocky Moun- Alvaro Jaramillo is a cation article material, but remember that in Monty and Argentina! Sometimes the odd barn tains westward. Cliff swallows are dis- book author and enjoys Python’s Holy Grail, the answer to the critical ques- swallow remains in winter in the southern tinctly more common in the west than guiding birding and tion of the airspeed of an unladen swallow depended , and their migration north in the east, while bank swallows are nature tours. He lives in on the answer, European or African? So indeed, iden- is becoming earlier and earlier—so much more local and rare in the Far West. Half Moon Bay, California. tification of these birds that are easily recognized as so that in coastal California some barn Similarly western purple martins are a group is not trivial! swallows are found heading north as early rare away from the Pacific Northwest.

2 MARCH & APRIL 2015 BIRD WATCHER’S DIGEST 3 Reference Points: Barn and Tree Swallows Identify Yourself: Swallows

Two swallows, the barn and tree, are cinnamon. To identify barn swallows at a widespread and common and act as distance, keep this tip in mind: They are great comparison points for the rest of long-winged for a swallow with a grace- Northern Rough-winged Swallows the swallows. ful and fluid flight style. Barns are the Northern rough-winged swallows are Barn Swallows swallows that most commonly fly close larger and more thickset than the bank Barn swallows often breed in barns and to the ground. swallow. They do not show contrast in under bridges, and can be very visible in Tree Swallows the face; the throat is dull brownish Bank Swallow spring and summer. At this time they are The is white below in all and becomes gradually lighter, becom- in adult plumage which is striking and plumages, but varies in its upperpart ing white on the breast and belly. This has the characteristic long and forked coloration. They are iridescent blue in Bank Swallows “dirty” cloak is very different from the “swallow-tail.” adult males, paler in older females, and The bank swallow contrasting face of the young tree or any When seen well, brownish in young. Fall im- is colonial, while the The rough-winged swallow the spread tail mature birds can appear rough-winged is solitary looks long-winged, with has a white to have a very faint and more closely associated a fluid wing stroke. band across breast band. In all with creeks and rivers. Bank swallow is bank swallow. In flight, the rough-winged it which is plumages the dark the smallest of our swallows; it is slim swallow looks long-winged, with a smooth absolutely di- of the face is cleanly and relatively long-tailed. Like the tree and fluid wing stroke, as well as a back- agnostic. The demarcated from the swallow it has a dark face very clearly dif- swept shape to the wing. Young rough- Barn Swallow white throat. In flight, ferentiated from the bright white throat, winged swallows are like the adults, but is known in the the white of the under- have distinctive cin- In the barn swallow, the United Kingdom as parts sneaks up the side white of the throat extends namon wing bars. “the swallow” and is of the rump but does not around the cheeks. the species that gave extend to the upperparts but distinctive for the bank swallow is the the group their English as it does in the similar well-defined brown breast band. When name. Barn swallows Male violet-green swallow. you see a bank swallow perched, apart are dark above, with a Tree swallows have a from the small size, look at the back blue iridescence in good bulky and stocky body, which is brown, a shade paler than the light, and cinnamon Tree Swallow and relatively short wings wings. Young tree swallows show a dull below with a darker breast and tail. The operative word and indistinct grayish breast band, and band. In late summer and fall, young barn there being “relatively,” as all swallows may be confused with bank. Apart from swallows show a forked tail, although it’s are long-winged for land birds. Maybe size and the distinct breast band, also much shorter and less obvious than in due to the wide wing bases the wings of note that on the bank swallow the white Northern Rough-winged adults. They are also more brownish above the tree swallow look on the short side of the throat extends to a “wrap-around” Swallow and less colorful below - more buffy than for a swallow. behind the cheeks.

4 MARCH & APRIL 2015 BIRD WATCHER’S DIGEST 5 Identify Yourself: Swallows

Violet-green Swallow In the West is found the violet-green,

The cliff swallow is sometimes con- Cave Swallow a close relative of the tree swallow, with fused with the barn swallow as both show many of them staying into winter in Cali- colorful underparts, and have blue upper- fornia. Although an odd name, it is an apt parts. The cliff swallow is more complex one, as the male is a gorgeous grass-green in pattern, showing a distinctive buffy color above, turning violet on the rump to rufous rump, and a grayish collar and and wing coverts. In all plumages the rusty cheek with a darker throat. The The male shows a white breast and flanks may look grayish to dull face, while females buffy, whiter on the belly, and dusky on Cave Swallow have dusky faces. the undertail coverts. Cliffs never show a A cave swallow is much like a cliff violet-green is white below, but key is the long tail like the barn swallow. swallow, including a buffy to rusty rump, extension of white from the vent up and Young cliff swallows are variable and darker in the south Florida population. around to the sides of the rump. In some Male confusing, but always show the classic Cave swallows are paler views they almost look entirely white- square tail and have a buffy to rufous than the cliff, with a rumped, although the middle of the rump rump. Some are brownish on the throat, cinnamon forehead. is dark. This pattern is definitive for this

Cliff swallows show a They have similar buffy to rufous throats, swallow; no tree swallow will show white rufous rump and grayish much paler than cliff swallows’, and cin- on the rump. In shape they are stiff-winged collar with rusty cheeks. namon foreheads—never white. The pale and they have a very short tail. Both of others speckled white on the face, or tone of the throat creates a dark, capped these features make it the swallow that showing buffy or whitish foreheads. In look that is not typically detected on a is most likely to be confused with a swift. late summer or fall, look for the tail shape cliff swallow. In shape they are similar to In direct comparison, the violet-green is a Female and rump to separate these cliff swallows and they are also colonial tad smaller than a tree swallow. The male from the widespread but the mud nests are cup-shaped like also shows a gleaming white face, such swallow species. a barn swallow nest, not globular like that the eye looks dark and beady, unlike the cliff’s. Cave swallows are restricted a tree swallow. Females and young have Violet-Green Swallows largely to south Florida and , but in dusky faces. When perched, the white late fall they show up well out of range, rump sides are not seen, but the lack of and with frequency at migratory hotspots a distinct dark face and white throat, and on the Atlantic Coast, such as Cape May. the shape difference of the wings that Keep this in mind if you think you see a extend well back beyond the short tail on very late “cliff” swallow; maybe it is the a violet-green aids in separating it from Cliff Swallow rarer cave. tree swallows.

6 MARCH & APRIL 2015 BIRD WATCHER’S DIGEST 7 Identify Yourself: Swallows

Purple Martin I left the big guy for last; the largest large-headed, with long wings and slow swallow by far is the purple martin. wing beats. They do much more gliding This is a beloved species, than smaller swallows, and often catch Tree with an entire organiza- a column of rising air, even Swallow tion devoted to it and soaring for short periods of Barn Female the maintenance of its time. In flight, due to the Swallow nesting “condos” and dark color and size, they guards. In the East, can be confused with purple martins are starlings - at least wholly dependent momentarily. Adult on artificial nesting males are entirely Northern Rough-winged structures pro- black with a dark Swallow vided by an army blue iridescence. of volunteers. In Females are the West, purple glossy blue above, martins still nest but grayish and Violet-Green Bank in natural cavities, Male speckled below Swallow Swallow although the largest becoming whiter concentration, in the on the belly. Im- Pacific Northwest, is matures are even Cave similarly reliant on Purple Martins more whitish on the Swallow boxes and gourds. It is belly and vent. Females said that Native Ameri- and immature plumages cans were the first to es- show a grayish forehead and collar. tablish nesting structures for martins by Males in their first spring and summer look like females, but with telltale black Males are black with blue iridescence. Females are feathers coming in on the flanks and speckled grayish below. breast. Western females are paler than the hanging dry gourds with a side opening eastern birds. The sweet and melodious, Cliff Swallow Purple that allowed access to the big swallows. rich gurgling and chortling calls of the Martin Gourds still function well as nest boxes. purple martin are often heard, sometimes Swallows Purple martins dwarf all other well before the birds are within sight. of swallows; they are big and bulky and They are a particularly vocal swallow.

8 MARCH & APRIL 2015 BIRD WATCHER’S DIGEST 9 AMERICAN Birding Expo 2015

Sponsored by the American Birding Association