13 The November 1999 Cave Swallow Invasion in Ontario and Northeastern North America

Bob Curry and Kevin A. McLaughlin

THE DISCOVERY square-ended tails, he then realized At around 1215h EST, on Tuesday, 2 that the birds had orange rumps, vis­ November 1999, KM drove into the ible as they did a few ground level Point Pelee National Park Visitor circuits of the parking lot. KM was Centre parking lot. It had been a enthused, not being able to remem­ rather slow morning of"car birding" ber having seen even one Cliff in a steady rain, with the only high­ Swallow (Petroehelidon pyrrhonota) light being a Merlin (Falco eolum­ in Ontario as late as October, let barius) which landed in one of the alone five in early November. tall trees at the small parking lot on Something was wrong, however, for the west side of the tip. In fact, the a brief look up through the rain had most eventful item was the drastic revealed what appeared to be a pale change in the weather. The previous throat on one or two ofthe birds. No several days had been balmy with sooner had KM exclaimed to him­ southwest winds, conditions so self "Are these Cave Swallows?" benign that KM had seen nine than the birds disappeared some­ species of butterflies on Monday where behind the Visitor Centre. morning, 1 November, under sunny After failing to re-find the birds, skies and a temperature of 16-18° C. KM decided to report the five as Cloud cover had increased by "Petroehelidon" swallows in the Monday afternoon, followed by rain sightings book in the Centre, at the overnight, with the wind shifting to same time telling two staff members northeast, resulting in a drop in tem­ of his suspicions on the identity. He perature to around 4° C. then returned to the parking lot to Parking the car, KM immedi­ await the birds' return, seeking shel­ ately noticed a group of five chunky ter in one of the transit cars which swallows flying low, approaching the had been parked in the lot. After an car from the vicinity of the Visitor hour and a half of fruitless watching, Centre. Little could be seen on the he drove north through the park, birds through the rain-splattered checking the Delaurier parking area windshield. Thinking that they and Northwest Beach, again with no were probably Tree Swallows success. Deciding around 1500h to (Taehycineta bieolor), KM got out check the West Beach parking lot, of the car for a better look. Noting he found, towards the south end, the off-white underparts and five swallows foraging. The birds

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 14 flew past the car, quickly going happily returned to the Visitor inside one of the three picnic shel­ Centre, whereupon he contacted ters bordering the parking lot, as if Tom Hince in Wheatley, who alerted looking for a roosting site. They ONTBIRDS (the Internet bird then disappeared, flying south, still sightings listserve sponsored by the not affording KM an identity­ Ontario Field Ornithologists). clinching view. Events proceeded quickly over the On Wednesday morning, 3 next several days, with Cave November, KM spent several hours Swallows being found again at Point on the sheltered east side of the tip, Pelee and elsewhere along the north watching for migrants. The rain had shore of Lake Erie at Erieau, Port ended overnight and the wind had Burwell, Long Point and beyond. shifted to northwest, blowing at near gale force, with the temperature DESCRIPTION OF POINT around freezing. During this time, he PELEE BIRDS saw several groups of swallows fly­ The field marks noted below are ing south off the Tip, adding up to at based on observations by KM on 2 least 25 birds. All of the birds were to 5 November at Point Pelee. The "Petrochelidons", and those that study obtained at the south end of could be seen in brief frontal views, the Sanctuary Pond near the park appeared to have pale throats. Once entrance on 4 November involved a again, however, totally conclusive bird flying in the company of sever­ views could not be realized. al Tree Swallows. KM returned to the east side of the tip around 1400h, and at once • Broad winged, husky swallow, found a swallow foraging low over slightly smaller than Tree Swallow. the water very close to shore. Finally, • Pale orange throat and auriculars, the hoped for conditions were real­ which colour extended around ized. The bird flew methodically the side of the head to the nape, about, only inches above the surface, and blended vaguely into the and approached to within a few feet. white breast. All frustrations vanished, as it was • Chestnut patch on the forecrown, definitely a Cave Swallow (P. fulva)! recalling Barn Swallow (Hirundo Moments later, two more Cave rustica). This patch was slightly Swallows joined this bird, permitting contrasting with the slate colour leisurely studies. KM now realized of the top of the head, and con­ that he was witnessing an unprece­ trasting more so with the pale dented Ontario invasion of this orange throat. species and that all the birds seen • Dark line between the dark eye Wednesday morning and Tuesday and black bill. afternoon were Cave Swallows. He • Upperparts with broad dark gray

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2000 15

wings, slate-coloured back with observation of 25 birds leaving the several (3 or 4) white lines down Tip in the morning by KM, followed the centre. by another three in the afternoon, • Dull orange rump patch, perhaps Tom Hince found two going to roost best described as "burnt" orange, at Sturgeon Creek and another two which seemed a bit darker orange in an old Barn Swallow nest at the than the throat. Visitor Centre. Away from Point • Underparts more off-white than Pelee, Jim Burk flushed three Cave Tree Swallow, not gleaming white, Swallows from his garage at Erie with a gray wash on the sides of Beach about 6 km west of Erieau in the breast and belly. Kent County. Also on this date, four • Tail dark gray or slate, at all times birds reported initially as Cliff appearing essentially unforked or Swallows at Long Point Tip were square-tipped. seen the next day and subsequently confirmed as Cave Swallows. THE ONTARIO STORY Subsequent to the discovery and 4 November: It is significant that all confirmation at Point Pelee, the but one Cave Swallow observation next four days (Wednesday, 3 from Ontario was from the north November to Saturday, 6 shore of Lake Erie. Long Point was November) produced multiple the epicentre. After information sightings by many fortunate birders. about birds roosting under eaves in In fact, so many observers were Barn Swallow nests was posted, involved that we have decided to Long Point Bird Observatory staff include names only for initial obser­ at the Tip found three roosting in vations at a location and for the nests at their cottage on Thursday later observations, after the num­ morning, one of which was cap­ bers of birds dropped off. Most of tured, banded and photographed the information comes from ONT­ (Christine Jamieson, pers. comm.). BIRDS. It is pleasing to note that See Figures 1 and 2. Over the virtually all sightings have been course of the day, observers totalled supported by documentation sub­ 13 at the Tip and 25 at Old Cut. mitted to the Ontario Bird Records Inasmuch as the birds at Old Cut Committee (OBRC), and that were flying west and foraging as OBRC has accepted these records they went, it is impossible to say (Kayo Roy, pers. comm.). how many left the Long Point peninsula and how many of those 3 November: There may have been seen the next day were new. as many as 32 birds at Point Pelee on At Point Pelee, the two birds in Wednesday (Alan Wormington, the nest at the Visitor Centre were pers. comm). In addition to the watched from dawn until one flew

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 16

Figure 1: Juvenile Cave Swallow (P! pallida), Long Point Tip, 4 November 1999. New remiges are Pi to P6, as well as Sl and S2 and some tertials, indicat­ ing that this bird was farther into first prebasic molt than the Point Pelee bird. Photo by Christine Jamieson. out. Subsequently, the other was were enjoyed by a host of observers, picked up in a very weakened con­ as the birds foraged actively in the dition (BC) and died (Figure 3). warm sun, mostly between the Elsewhere at Point Pelee, three oth­ Provincial Park on the east and the ers were seen foraging over Causeway on the west. Another Sanctuary Pond for most of the day three at Turkey Point (Jerry (Matt Baker et al.). Guenther, ONTBIRDS) followed At Erieau, six birds were seen in the shoreline in an easterly direction the pier area (Steve Charbonneau, towards Port Dover. This observa­ ONTBIRDS) until almost dusk and tion indicates that all birds did not almost certainly must have roosted automatically fly west and further there. Whether these included the confounds attempts to estimate total three at Erie Beach the day previous numbers. This is the farthest east is impossible to say, but likely those location in Ontario, except for a were different birds. report of a Cliff Swallow just west of Port Dover by a casual observer 5 November: Approximately 24 were (fide John Olmsted). at Long Point; eight at the Tip and A day of diligent searching by about 16 near the base. These latter seven observers was rewarded with

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2000 17

Figure 2: Long Point Tip bird. Note that the throat of this individual is barely per­ ceptibly lighter in shade than the crown, and that the breast and flanks are greyish with buff-orange tips. These features are different from those shown on recently published photographs (see Birders Journal 8: 35 and 8: 267), and from what many observers noted in the field (e.g., see KM description above). Such differences likely pertain to known variation within the species, as well as varying light conditions (see Greg Lasley's comments in Wormington 1992:179). They illustrate the difficulty of sub­ specific determination of birds in the field. Photo by Christine Jamieson. one Cave Swallow at Port Burwell 6 November: A Petrochelidon, almost approximately 33 km west of Long certainly a Cave Swallow, was seen Point. This bird was observed for flying west over Long Point about 45 minutes in late morning Provincial Park (Don Graham, (Dave Martin, ONTBIRDS). It is Anthony Lang, ONTBIRDS) and a likely that this, the first and only for hirundine at Turkey Point was most Elgin County, was a bird moving likely also a Cave Swallow (Marcel west from Long Point. Meanwhile Gahbauer, ONTBIRDS).At least six the six birds at Erieau remained all observers saw the six birds at Erieau day. At Pelee, two birds were until approximately 0900h. They pre­ observed leaving the Tip in the sumably departed soon after as bird­ early morning (KM et a1.) and the ers looked unsuccessfully from three remained at Sanctuary Pond 1400h on. until late morning at least. The only Cave Swallow found in

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 18

Ontario away from Lake Erie was Louise Simard and Guy Zenaitis on well studied by 18 people on a 6 6 November under a small bridge at November Detroit Audubon Society Melocheville near Beauharnois trip at Gallimere Beach on the (Bannon 2000). One bird remained southeast shore of Lake Huron in until 11 November. An additional Lambton County (Karl Overman, two birds were found by Michel ONTBIRDS). Robert on 6-7 November at La Malbaie about 400 km northeast The final two Ontario sightings down the St. Lawrence River from were of a bird seen at the Tip of Melocheville, and a buff-rumped Long Point on 10 November (CJ) swallow was reported on 6 and the same or another at Old Cut November at Cap Tourmente down the next day, 11 November (Hilbran river from Quebec City. It is very Verstraete per Jul Wojnowski, interesting that these birds were not ONTBIRDS). found until after most birds had dis­ appeared from Ontario. This may Thus, in Ontario, the Cave have been a case of birders not dis­ Swallow invasion of 1999 lasted for covering the birds until a weekend a total of 10 days, from 2-11 (Bannon 2000). Or, it is possible November. As stated, it is extreme­ that some of the swallows upon ly difficult to calculate just how attempting to reorient, left Ontario many birds were involved. Our esti­ on a northeasterly bearing (i.e., 180 mates range from a minimum of degrees in error) and flew down the about 90 to a high of approximately St. Lawrence River to their demise. 110 birds. As always in such bird invasions, some birds went unseen Michigan but the predisposition of these birds It was not until 13 November, after to collect at peninsulas extending Ontario's last sighting, that into Lake Erie suggests that most of Michigan's first ever Cave Swallow the Cave Swallows that occurred, at was found by almost the entire least from 3 November on, were Michigan Bird Records Committee seen. Doubtless, however, others at Grand Haven, Ottawa County in left the province, unseen. the southwest of the state on the shore of Lake Michigan (Allen ELSEWHERE IN THE Chartier, ONTBIRDS). Sometimes NORTHEAST meetings can be fun! Again, we are Quebec compelled to speculate that this Given the total lack of reports from may have been another bird the north shore of Lake Ontario, it attempting to reorient after having is somewhat surprising that two spent about ten days farther north birds were found by Pierre Bannon, and east than this.

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2000 19

) Figure 3: Juvenile female Cave Swallow (P. f pallida), Point Pelee, 4 November 1999 (ROM #66156). Note PI and P2 are new, indicating that this is a HY bird, as adults will have completed their molt before this date. Photo by Barry Cherriere. Northeastern USA or 6). As was the case in Ontario, Many reports of Cave Swallows concentrations occurred along the burned up the BIRDEAST hotlines. coast and at peninsulas on days with The first was a flyby at Cape May, northwest winds. New Jersey on 1 November. In addition, some sightings Between then and 1 December, occurred so much later and after Cape May totalled at least 35 birds, intervening bouts of colder weather with 32 seen on 7 November and a that they may represent different single flock of30 by Paul Lehman on birds that wandered northeast (Paul 8 November. The large numbers first Lehman, pers. comm.). Into this cat­ appeared there on 4 November. egory fall birds on 11 December at Elsewhere, the totals were as fol­ Avalon, New Jersey and near lows: elsewhere in New Jersey (2); Leipsic, Delaware (a first state New York (1); Connecticut (as many record); three on 18 December at as 35) but some duplication may Hampton,Virginia, and one from 17 have been involved (Paul Lehman, to 21 December at Cape May. pers. comm.); Rhode Island (4); western Pennsylvania (2 probables); THE EFFECT OF WEATHER Virginia (3); and North Carolina (5 The phenomenon of vagrant Cave VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 20

Swallows in the Northeast during produced strong northwest winds the 1990s is more complex than an in Ontario. analysis ofweather, but certainly the Thus, it seems likely that the massive scale of this invasion must swallows drifted northeast on the be attributable to weather events. favourable winds of 31 October Over the period from 30 and 1 November. Birds arriving on October to 4 November, weather those days would have been widely events capable of displacing and dispersed and gone unnoticed until concentrating the swallows devel­ the northerly winds and precipita­ oped. On Sunday, 31 October, a tion caused them to attempt to deep low pressure trough extended reorient, and at the same time con­ southwards from the Dakotas to centrate, at peninsulas along the Texas. To the east of this system, shorelines. There is some evidence strong southwest winds blew from to support this interpretation. One Texas to Ontario and the rest of the Cave Swallow flew by the hawk­ northeastern part of the continent watch at Cape May, NJ on Monday, during all of Sunday and Monday. 1 November, but it was not until Eventually, a large low pressure cell Wednesday, 3 November, that con­ cut off from the trough and moved centrations began there (Paul east-northeast very quickly, until by Lehman, BIRDEAST). Tuesday, 2 November, it was cen­ Perhaps many Cave Swallows tred over Tennessee. At about the left Ontario undetected on 2 same time, another low drifted November. And perhaps by 3 and 4 eastward from western Canada, November, those that remained until by Tuesday, 2 November, it were too hungry and stressed by was centred over southern Hudson the cold to leave. The bird banded Bay. A strong, broad cold front at Long Point Tip on 4 November extended between these two had no fat (Jul Wojnowski, pers. depressions. Rain ahead of the comm.) and, of course, the Point front extended to Ontario and Pelee bird died on the same morn­ strong northeast winds here blew ing. Examination of this bird at the towards the Tennessee low. By Royal Ontario Museum revealed Wednesday, 3 November, the cen­ that it had died of starvation (Mark tre of this low had moved to north­ Peck, pers. comm.). Fortunately, for central Pennsylvania, resulting in both the swallows and birders, the continued heavy precipitation from next few days saw the return of Lake Michigan to the Eastern sunny and mild conditions and the Seaboard. Also, and more impor­ birds, now concentrated, were feed­ tantly, continued anti-cyclonic cir­ ing actively and seen by many. The culation around both lows and on circumstantial evidence suggests the west side of the cold front now that these birds managed to restore

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2000 21

enough strength and, for the most Lehman, pers. comm.; Wormington part, departed south and west on 1992, 1999). Observers have used Friday, 5 November, with a few field observations and circum­ remaining until the next morning. stances to make a case for either The stragglers seen at Long Point West Indian or southwestern United on 10 and 11 November, Michigan States origin. There are six or seven on 13 November, and western currently recognized subspecies Pennsylvania on 26 November (Howard and Moore 1980, Turner could have been reorienting after and Rose 1989, Pyle 1997, Garrido having moved, in error, northeast et al. 1999). Of these, five occur in along the shores of the lower Great North America, although citata of Lakes (viz., the Quebec birds, 6 to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is 11 November). likely sedentary and not considered Regardless of the exact situa­ as a vagrant candidate to the north. tion, the question remains as to why The nominate subspecies fulva this was almost solely a Cave occurs in the Greater Antilles and Swallow event and how it fits into now breeds in south Florida (West the pattern of vagrancy exhibited by 1995). A poorly defined subspecies the species over at least the last cavicola occurs in Cuba, and anoth­ decade (see Appendix). Swallows er has recently been described from may be more prone to being dis­ Puerto Rico (Garrido et al. 1999). placed by strong winds but the only The "southwestern" subspecies pall­ other swallows positively identified ida nests in southeast New Mexico, with the Cave Swallows were a few east to central Texas and locally Tree Swallows and it is not particu­ south to coastal Texas and into larly unusual for this species to northern Mexico (Turner and Rose linger into November or even 1989, West 1995). December. While there were several The nomenclature of Cave other rare western birds in Ontario Swallows is as dynamic as their over the late fall and winter, we see breeding ranges (Michel Gosselin, no compelling reason to suggest that pers. comm. to Ron Pittaway, 1999). they were in any way related to this The name pelodoma was created particular weather system. when the genus Petrochelidon, along with others, was lumped into SUBSPECIES AND ORIGIN Hirundo. Now that it has been The question of which subspecies of teased out of Hirundo to its origi­ Cave Swallow are involved, and nal generic name Petrochelidon, the therefore, whence they have origi­ correct appellation for the "Tex­ nated, has been a controversial issue Mex" subspecies is pallida. among observers, especially pertain­ In the field, these four sub­ ing to the 1990s incursions (Paul species are, with present knowl-

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 22 edge, impossible to determine with ment of the banded Long Point certainty. Moreover, for reasons of bird and morphometries on the clarity here, it seems appropriate to Point Pelee specimen (ROM # lump the West Indian birds under 66156). Table 1 presents a compari­ the name fulva. Although some of son of measurements among these the earlier Nova Scotia birds had specimens and series of measure­ been positively determined to be ments from the known breeding fulva, the balance of opinion, not ranges (Pyle 1997). It is clear from without cogent opposition, pertain­ these comparisons that both the ing to the 1990s records has been Long Point bird and the Point Pelee that most, and perhaps all, originat­ specimen are attributable to the ed in the southwestern United SUbspecies pallida of the southwest­ States. Observers have noted subtle ern United States. Finally, a speci­ variations in colour and contrast men obtained in North Carolina in and marshalled arguments using late fall 1999 has also been identi­ weather systems to support their fied as pallida (Harry LeGrand, ID contentions about origin and sub­ FRONTIERS). species (Wormington 1992, 1999; Another interesting point is Bannon 2000). Notwithstanding, that the two specimens and the in­ what have been sorely needed are hand bird were all hatching year specimens or in-hand studies where birds with incomplete molt to first morphometrics can be utilized to basie plumage (see Figures 1 and 3). determine subspecies. We now have that information for the fall 1999 CAVE SWALLOW flight and for another eastern POPULATION DYNAMICS extralimital record. By inference, Since the 1970s, the Cave Swallow many of the intervening records in has been dramatically expanding its time and place are also likely from range. Nominate fulva, native to the the same origins, although this can­ Greater Antilles, now nests in south not be proved. Florida (Smith et a1. 1988). It seems The first specimen of Cave likely that the Nova Scotia records Swallow for South Carolina was were related to this expansion, pieked up in a moribund condition although the dearth of records since on 31 October 1993 (McNair and 1982 is puzzling. Similarly, pallida Post 1999). Based upon measure­ has advanced aggressively and ments and coloration, and verifica­ rapidly eastwards across Texas, tion by Steve Cardiff and Van apparently usurping sites and even Remsen, this was the first specimen nests from Barn Swallows (Palmer of pallida for eastern North 1988). Wormington (1999) described America (McNair and Post 1999). the banding of several juvenile Cave In addition, we have one measure- Swallows in Nebraska, which were

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2000 23

Table 1: Length Comparisons of Cave Swallows

P. f. fulva P.f. pelodoma ROM # Long Point S. Carolina (Pyle) =pallida 66156 (band #1651- specimen (Pyle) Point Pelee 05301)

WING 97 - 103 106 - 113 110* 104* 109.5* TAIL 37 - 45 45 - 52 47 TARSUS 11.1 - 11.9 12.1 -13.0 12.9

*Hatching year birds average 4-5 mm shorter in wing length (Pyle 1997). presumed to have migrated north Thus, we may be nowhere near with Cliff Swallows. In the longer the end of expansion of the Cave historical context, it is relevant to Swallow. We anticipate that Ontario know that the first nest for Texas was will experience more April, and per­ not found until 1914 and the first for haps March, records (Wormington New Mexico was in 1930 (West 1992) as weather conditions not 1995). So it is clear that this species unlike November 1999 are, if any­ has not yet stabilized its breeding thing, more frequent in spring than range in North America. in fall. In this regard, there is an One important factor affecting intriguing report of a "Cliff the range of swallows is the avail­ Swallow" at Long Point on 8 March ability of suitable nest sites 1992. Moreover, Alan Wormington (Brewer 1987). As Cave Swallows (pers. comm.) has observed two pos­ are expanding along highways, sible Cave Swallows (one in spring, adopting bridges and culverts for the other in fall) leaving Point Pelee, nesting (West 1995), there may be much as McLaughlin did in fall considerable range expansion yet 1999. As for the 1999 incursion, the to come. Palmer (1988) notes that Cave Swallow departure dates from in Texas, Cliff and Barn Swallows the Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico are losing ground to the Cave from 1981-1992 ranged from 28 Swallow at these man-made nest October to 10 November (West sites. This expansion is somewhat 1995). While our birds are not nec­ akin to the rapid northeasterly essarily from this precise location, it range expansion of the Wild Indigo would appear that early November Dusky Wing (Erynnis baptisiae) is a peak time for parties of this along major highway systems. This species to be migrating and hence butterfly now uses Crown Vetch vulnerable to displacement. (Coronilla varia), the pink ground cover planted along highways, as a CONCLUSION larval food plant (Shapiro 1979). In summary, the late fall of 1999

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 24 witnessed a large movement of Acknowledgements Cave Swallows into northeastern We thank Barry Cherriere for pho­ USA and Canada. Up to 110 birds tographing the specimen, and were seen in Ontario and at least Christine Jamieson, who pho­ another 80 were elsewhere in tographed the Long Point bird. northeastern North America. The Steve Feldstein provided valuable precipitating factors were two interpretation of the weather sys­ intense low pressure systems and tems during and before the event. their accompanying wind vectors. Many thanks to the following who While much more massive, this provided or checked information: flight fits into a decade long pattern David Christie, Michel Gosselin, of increasing vagrancy to the north­ Paul Lehman, Ian McLaren, Glenn east. Specimen evidence corrobo­ Murphy, Mark Peck, Ron Pittaway, rates the postulation that the birds Ron Tozer, Jul Wojnowski and Alan of the 1999 invasion (and likely Wormington. Kayo Roy (OBRC many, if not most, of the other Secretary), in particular, collated extralimital records) were P.! pal/i­ and organized all e-mails pertaining da from the southwestern USA. to the event. Glenda Slessor read Clearly, these Cave Swallow early drafts and made valuable sug­ extralimital occurrences are excit­ gestions regarding style. Paul ing in the short run and fascinating Lehman and Alan Wormington in the larger context. It may be that offered numerous thoughtful sug­ even the fall occurrences are part of gestions, which significantly the penchant of the species for improved the manuscript and expanding its range. directed us to other references.

Appendix: History of vagrant Cave Swallows in eastern North America

We thought that Ontario Birds readers would be interested in the full story of the vagrancy patterns of Cave Swallow. This list includes all those obser­ vations of vagrant Cave Swallows in northeastern North America that have been accepted or are thought to be valid. It is interesting to revisit Alan Wormington's two papers in Birders Journal (Wormington 1992,1999) in the light of these records below, togeth­ er with the fall 1999 invasion. In 1992, he predicted that more Cave Swallows would occur north and east of Texas, including Ontario. Such occurrences, of course, happened virtually annually after the 1989 Point Pelee record. These extralimital incursions set the stage for the invasion in the fall of 1999. At least five records, some of multiple birds, exist for Nova Scotia between 1968 and 1982 (Godfrey 1986: 379; Tufts 1986: 296). In the light of questions about subspecies involved, several points are of interest here:

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2000 25

1. The two Nova Scotia specimens that exist are referable to P.! fulva s.l. (Godfrey 1986, American Ornithologists' Union 1998).

2. All these Nova Scotia records occurred before the recent spate of eastern North American records.

3. Dates for all of these birds ranged from May to July (i.e., none was in the late fall period when most have occurred in the 1990s).

Commencing in 1989, Cave Swallows have become virtually annual in the Northeast:

21 April 1989 - Point Pelee, Essex Co., ON (1); Wormington 1992

20 April to 5 June 1990 - Cape May, NJ (1); AB 44 (3): 404

23 May 1990 - Jamaica Bay, NY (1); AB 44 (3): 404

7 November 1992 (4), down to (1) 15 November 1992 - Cape May, NJ; AB 47 (1): 73

31 October 1993 - Folly Beach, Charleston Co., SC (1); McNair and Post 1999

20 November 1993 - Cape May, NJ (1); AB 48 (1): 94

8 to 19 November 1994 - Cape May, NJ; Wildwood, NJ (3); FN 49 (1): 28-29

6 November and 30 November 1995 - Cape May, NJ (1); FN 50 (1): 29

3 November 1996 - Cape May, NJ (1); FN 51 (1): 32

7 November to 16 November 1997 - Cape May, NJ (up to 5); FN 52 (1): 37

9 November 1997 - East Point, Cumberland Co., NJ (2); Paul Lehman, pers. comm.

4 November 1998 - Cape May, NJ (1 to 2); NAB 53 (1): 37

28 November 1998 - Long Island, NY (2); NAB 53 (1): 37

21 November to 13 December 1998 - Cape May, NJ (2); NAB 53 (2): 150

1 November 1998 - Fisherman I., VA (1); NAB 53 (1): 42 VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 26

7 to 9 December 1998 - Point Pelee, Essex Co., ON (1); Wormington 1999

25 March 1999 - Cape May, NJ (1-2); NAB 53 (3): 263

Abbreviations: AB = American Birds FN = Field Notes NAB = North American Birds

Information Sources BIRDEAST: [email protected] ID FRONTIERS: [email protected] ONTBIRDS: [email protected]

Literature Cited Bannon, P. 2000. First Quebec records of Shapiro, A.M. 1979. Erynnis baptisiae Cave Swallows. Birders Journal 8: 301-304. (Hesperiidae) on Crown Vetch Brewer, D. 1987. Bank Swallow, Riparia (Leguminosae). Journal of the riparia. Pp. 278-279 in Atlas of the Lepidopterists' Society 33: 258. Breeding Birds of Ontario (M. D. Smith, P.W., W.B. Robertson, and H.M. Cadman, P.EI Eagles, and EM. Helleiner, Stevenson. 1988. West Indian Cave compilers). University of Waterloo Press, Swallow nesting in Florida, with com­ Waterloo, Ontario. ments on the taxonomy of Hirundo fulva. Garrido, O.H., A.T. Peterson, and O. Komar. Florida Field Naturalist 16: 86-90. 1999. Geographic variation and taxonomy Tufts, R.W.1986. Birds of Nova Scotia. Third of the Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) edition. The Nova Scotia Museum, complex, with the description of a new Halifax, Nova Scotia. subspecies from Puerto Rico. Bulletin of Turner, A., and e. Rose. 1989. Swallows and the British Ornithological Club 119: 80-91. Martins: An Identification Guide and Godfrey, W.E. 1986. The Birds of Canada. Handbook. Houghton Mifflin Company, Revised edition. National Museums of Boston. Canada, Ottawa. West, S. 1995. Cave Swallow (Hirundo fulva). Howard, R. and A. Moore. 1980. A Complete In The Birds ofNorthAmerica, No. 141 (A. Checklist of the Birds of the World. Oxford Poole and E Gill, editors). Academy of University Press, Oxford, England. Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and McNair, D.B. and W. Post. 1999. First speci­ American Ornithologists' Union, men record of the Cave Swallow Washington, DC. Petrochelidon fulva pelodoma in eastern Wormington, A. 1992. Cave Swallow: new to North America. The Chat 63: 30-32. Ontario and the Great Lakes region. Palmer, P.e. 1988. Cave Swallow range contin­ Birders Journal 1: 176-180. ues to expand. American Birds 42: 174-176. Wormington, A. 1999. Cave Swallow: second Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North record for Ontario and the Great Lakes American Birds. Slate Creek Press, region. Birders Journal 8: 35-37. Bolinas, California.

Bob Curry, 3115 New Street, Unit 30, Burlington, Ontario L7N 3T6 Kevin A. McLaughlin, 30 Bingham Road, Hamilton, Ontario L8H 1N4

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 2000