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Pallid vs Common Swift (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ecrvich
- Start date
Alexander Stöhr
Well-known member
Hello,
with thanks to all on another recent thread here:
I am in the Pallid camp here:
with thanks to all on another recent thread here:
I am in the Pallid camp here:
- although enhanced by full crop, the whitish troat seems large and the pale front of the head seems better for this
- Broad hips result in a shape better for Pallid imo
- Scaly underparts and paler brown colouration are unusual for Common Swifts
Ernest Garcia
Well-known member
I'd say Pallid. Carrying food ball for what would be a second brood. Common Swifts are single-brooded and most have left the Iberian Peninsula by now.
ecrvich
Active member
Wow, very cool insight! Thank you, Ernest (from a fellow Ernest!).
ecrvich
Active member
kb57
Well-known member
As you said, Ernest's reply is very convincing, and confirms they are pallid swifts. Your photos also illustrate how difficult it is to ID species pairs by tone - in the strong light, the shaded underside looks very dark indeed, whereas sunlight on the upper wing would no doubt reveal (and accentuate) a much paler, characteristically 'two tone' colouration of pallid swift.
In terms of geography / timing, I was out in SW Iberia today and only saw pallid swifts. Paradoxically in more northerly latitudes there are sometimes still some late-fledging juvenile common swifts around in early September, resulting from late arrival of breeding birds.
In terms of geography / timing, I was out in SW Iberia today and only saw pallid swifts. Paradoxically in more northerly latitudes there are sometimes still some late-fledging juvenile common swifts around in early September, resulting from late arrival of breeding birds.
