ID Help: Swift with white-rump, white chin (1 Viewer)

[jimmmer]

Goodnight to all. I photographed a swift at the Ermy Bourne Highway, Cambridge, Saint Joseph, Barbados on June 3rd. The bird was flying with Black Swift and you could clearly it was different. Our local expert thinks it may be a Horus or House Swift or Little Swift. Can you guys help give a positive ID? Thanks

 

[Harrybongo]

Goodnight to all. I photographed a swift at the Ermy Bourne Highway, Cambridge, Saint Joseph, Barbados on June 3rd. The bird was flying with Black Swift and you could clearly it was different. Our local expert thinks it may be a Horus or House Swift or Little Swift. Can you guys help give a positive ID? ThanksView attachment 1513839View attachment 1513841View attachment 1513842

View attachment 1513841View attachment 1513839View attachment 1513842

Hi. Maybe, an Antillian Palm Swift??

 

[THE_FERN]

Hi. Maybe, an Antillian Palm Swift??

Shouldn't that species show extensive white underneath, with white rump patches which spill over the sides of the rump?

I agree it does look quite long-tailed for house or little swift. If it is one of those two, I think perhaps house swift. Supposedly, the differences are that the white rump is narrower and the vent area all dark compared with little. Photos suggest the rump is difficult to judge but the vent here looks dark.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Shouldn't that species show extensive white underneath, with white rump patches which spill over the sides of the rump?

I agree it does look quite long-tailed for house or little swift. If it is one of those two, I think perhaps house swift. Supposedly, the differences are that the white rump is narrower and the vent area all dark compared with little. Photos suggest the rump is difficult to judge but the vent here looks dark.

Looks ok for White-rumped to me, perhaps a tad short tailed?

 

[Hotspur]

White rumped should have a white trailing edge to the tertials when seen like this though. Tail looks too pointed for Little Swift so Horus?

 

[THE_FERN]

White rumped should have a white trailing edge to the tertials when seen like this though. Tail looks too pointed for Little Swift so Horus?

I'm not so familiar with that species but I thought the throat patch not so neat as we see here (cf ebird photos), and the tail more forked than in the op photos. Little almost always seems to show a square tail but house often gives an indication of a fork

 

[THE_FERN]

I just cantered through this excellent paper:

https://sabap2.birdmap.africa/docs/Horus_Swift_Jansen_Driessens.pdf

My understanding is the most consistent character for Horus is a pale face with no sharp demarcation of the white throat patch. Others include pale markings on the underwing. I see none of these here: the head is dark with a sharp transition to the throat patch.

In the paper they contrast tail feather shapes. A shallow fork with rounded feathers is characteristic of house and I think I see this here. So I'll stick with house swift for this one (but feel free to disagree...)

 

[Hotspur]

That seems a jump to me. Looking at eBird photos, Horus dont seem to have a sharply demarcated throats particularly and House is from East Asia. In addition the underwing is in shadow here in bright light so assessing it is tricky. That said, it appears from photos that Horus usually shows a short pale supercilium which I cant see on this. Interesting bird.

 

[THE_FERN]

(Just to note House Swift was seen in British Columbia in 2012. So same hemisphere, but rather different location...)

 

[stuartelsom]

The dark forehead and gleaming white throat are pro House Swift. As others have said, not Antillean Palm Swift as that is extensively pale around the whole head and the underparts are largely pale. Tail is not squared as in Little Swift and lack of white on trailing edge seems to rule out White-rumped. Horus should show narrow white supercilium and a longer tail. House Swift for me.

An outstanding record and excellent photographs, whatever the eventual consensus on ID.

Stu

 

[THE_FERN]

I just cantered through this excellent paper:

https://sabap2.birdmap.africa/docs/Horus_Swift_Jansen_Driessens.pdf

My understanding is the most consistent character for Horus is a pale face with no sharp demarcation of the white throat patch. Others include pale markings on the underwing. I see none of these here: the head is dark with a sharp transition to the throat patch.

In the paper they contrast tail feather shapes. A shallow fork with rounded feathers is characteristic of house and I think I see this here. So I'll stick with house swift for this one (but feel free to disagree...)

now summarised here:

Identifying small white-rumped swifts - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

 

[KC Foggin]

I'm going with House Swift as well.

 

[jimmmer]

 

[jimmmer]

Here are a few more images of the bird with a squarish tail shape

 

[THE_FERN]

Here are a few more images of the bird with a squarish tail shape

They don't change my view. Here the rump seems restricted compared with little swift, and the throat is difficult to discern. It's difficult to assess the precise shape of the tail feathers, but I think it's clear it's not (e.g.) white-rumped swift, Horus swift. Anyway, please have a look at the material I posted and see what you think !

 

[njlarsen]

I think someone mentioned a House Swift in BC, Canada. That had crossed an ocean, but to come to Barbados it would thereafter have to cross a continent. If coming from the other direction, a House Swift would have to cross a continent (from SE China or further away) and thereafter cross an ocean. Little swift just seems so much more reasonable. But I have zero experience with House Swift in life and do not know if they are known wanderers except for that BC observation.
Niels

 

[THE_FERN]

I think someone mentioned a House Swift in BC, Canada. That had crossed an ocean, but to come to Barbados it would thereafter have to cross a continent. If coming from the other direction, a House Swift would have to cross a continent (from SE China or further away) and thereafter cross an ocean. Little swift just seems so much more reasonable. But I have zero experience with House Swift in life and do not know if they are known wanderers except for that BC observation.
Niels

[It was me; and I did point that out]

Yes, but there just aren't any of the Little Swift ID pointers here. Rump white isn't massive like Little's, tail has central notch in +/- all photos, there's no evidence of paler greyish vent or upper tail coverts, I feel tail feather tips are better for House (slightly pointed rather than very rounded—but happy for you to disagree). Anyway, I think it's safe to assume it's one of those 2 species (Little, House).