Memorandum to:         The Director of Birds Australia

 

From:                           Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)

 

Date:                            21st February 2007

 

 

Voting Members:         Danny Rogers                Mike Carter

Niven McCrie                 John Hatch

                                    Tony Palliser                 Andrew Silcocks

                                    Glenn Holmes                Rohan Clarke

                       

cc.                                Ron Johnstone  

 

 

Submission No. 496: House Swift Apus affinis. Broome, WA. 15th February 2001. Submitted by: Chris Hassell

 

 

Verdict: Accepted

 

 

This submission relates to the sighting of a House Swift Appus affinis on the 15th February 2001 at the Broome Bird Observatory (BBO) (17o 59' 27”S 120o 22' 39” E) 13 kilometres east of Broome, WA. The bird was feeding in the company of Tree Martins Hirundo nigricans and Barn Swallows H. rustica over ‘pindan’ woodland.

 

A description has been provided from field notes taken during the observation. This swift had a broad, square bright white rump contrasting strongly with the black tail, back, mantle, head and upperwing. The tail was very short and blunt. This is in contrast to the obvious fork of Fork-tailed Swift A. pacificus when its tail is open, or its narrow ‘pin-tailed’ appearance when the tail is closed.  The bird had a pale throat, not as bright as the birds rump but very obvious. The wings were broad and rounded, in comparison to those of Fork-tailed swift with which the observers are very familiar.

 

Members agreed entirely with the observer’s analysis and voted unanimously in favour of acceptance. The 8th record of this species to be confirmed by BARC.

 

 

 

References and Bibliography:

 

·       Chantler, P. & Driessens, G., (1995), Swifts; A Guide to the Swifts & Treeswifts of the World. Pica, E. Sussex.

·       Cramp, S. (Ed.) (1985), Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East & North Africa, Vol. 4. Oxford, Oxford.

·       Sibley, C.G. & Munroe, B.L., Jr. 1990. Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. Yale University Press, New Haven.

·       Coates, B.J., Bishop, K.D. and Gardner, D. (1997), A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea, Dove, Alderly, Qld.

·       Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. (1998), Birds of the Indian Subcontinent, Helm, London.

·       Higgins, P.J. (1999) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds Vol 4 Parrots to Dollarbird. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.

·       Johnstone, R. E., Storr, G. M. (1998), Handbook of Western Australian Birds Vol 1 Non-Passerines (Emu to Dollarbird), Western Australian Museum, Perth

·       Robertson, D.G. 1980. First record of the House Swift Apus affinis in Australia.  Australian Birdwatcher 8, 239 - 242.