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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hannu" data-source="post: 1249932" data-attributes="member: 19244">yep, Ross, of course many of them are subjective, but when you'll turn over the list and compared to the linked photos, you start to note to the prominent features. I agree  that most of them are find probably from comparing photos or live birds/ skins in the hand. But the main problem seems to be that most of us does not know simply even the plumage variation of Common Swift or even main id features of that species. As to your pics, they reveals enough to id reliably that species.Also we have to remember that Swifts are rather difficult to observe in the field (together flight speed, flight custom and size of the species) and thus this kind of details are rather difficult to see reliably. Unfortunately I have not seen yet Pallid Swift, but I think that the head differences should be rather easily to observe in the field, or what are the opinions of the Southern Europe fellows?</blockquote>