Dan P Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Taken 3-24-2021 at Quail Lake in northwestern Los Angeles County, CA. I'm unsure about these two swallows. The first photo I think is either a Northern Rough-winged or a Bank Swallow -- although it's probably too early for a Bank at this location. The shadows have been lightened in this photo. The other two photos are the same bird. These two photos have been upsized to 200% and the shadows lightened. I'm feeling like this is a Cliff Swallow. The two birds were photographed 17 minutes apart, and each time I think I only saw 2 or 3 birds for a few moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLecy Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 All photos are of Cliff Swallows. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLecy Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 EDIT. Was looking on my phone and now on my computer I think the first bird isn't a CLSW. It lacks the pale underwing coverts of CLSW, has dark underwing coverts which is better for NRWS, and has a clean throat versus the chestnut throat of a CLSW. The structure of the bird looks too chunky for NRWS though, and the bright white below may be more of an effect of the lightening the shadows, as NRWS should be typically duller below versus the bright white of CLSW. It does have the long undertail coverts of a NRWS though. So, I think it's a Rough-winged, but the effects threw me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hasan Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 1 hour ago, DLecy said: All photos are of Cliff Swallows. Hahaha I did a double take to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. I agree that the first bird is a Roughie. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLecy Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 9 minutes ago, Hasan said: Hahaha I did a double take to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. I agree that the first bird is a Roughie. Was on my phone at the end of a work Zoom ?when I really shouldn’t have been. Made the call hastily and then came back to it on my computer cause something didn’t sit right. Glad I did. All bird senses have been realigned. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan P Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 When I first saw the photos of this bird I didn't think it was a NRWS because something about its form didn't look like those I was used to seeing -- I guess because it is so chunky, and I'd rather see more of a wash running down the breast than a band. But trying to identify it, I kept ending up at NRWS. Attached are a couple more photos of the bird in question -- without adjusting the exposure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor Cochrane Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Undoubtedly Rough-winged 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor L. Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 The new photo puts it there for me beyond any doubt. Northern Rough-winged Swallow. The other bird is, as previously stated, a Cliff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Leukering Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 The white forehead on the second bird makes the ID straightforward, given that the face and throat are so dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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