Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2022-16
| Common name: |
Vaux's Swift |
| Scientific name: | Chaetura |
| Date: | 4/23/22 |
| Time: | 3:20pm |
| Length of time observed: | 15 min |
| Number: | 1 (at least) |
| Age: | AHY |
| Sex: | N/A |
| Location: | 21st Pond |
| County: | Weber |
| Latilong: | 41.232593,-111.9951757 |
| Elevation: | 4275' |
| Distance to bird: | 50-150 yds |
| Optical equipment: | Swarovski NL pure 8x42, Canon 60D with 100-400 IS lens |
| Weather: | Overcast but warm |
| Light Conditions: | Diffuse sunlight |
| Description: Size of bird: | Small |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Cigar with wings |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Overall dark with lighter patches on rump and throat |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Extremely tiny |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Tiny swift flying around the pond alternating flurries of rapid
wingbeats with long glides on downcurved wings. Classic chaetura swift
"cigar with wings" shape with tiny bill, short body and long pointed,
evenly tapered wings. Throat and rump with contrasting paler gray color
which can barely be seen in my poor backlit photos. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | None that I could hear. |
| Behavior: | Was flying low around the perimeter of the pond with the other swallows and swifts at times making feeding forays into the trees. Vaux's tend to be more arboreal than Chimney Swifts so this pattern fit. |
| Habitat: | Urban pond ringed with trees |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Smaller and darker with different way of flying than any swallow species. White-throated Swift will show much more contrasting white on the plumage and have a more pointed tail. Chimney Swift are very similar but lack the paler throat and rump and will have longer wings and a longer tail. Chimney Swifts will also show bulging inner secondaries on the wings which this bird lacked and show more evenly tapered wings. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Have seen hundreds in Washington state and have seen several in Utah. |
| References consulted: | Sibley's 2nd edition |
| Description from: |
Notes taken at the time of the sighting From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Kenny Frisch |
| Observer's address: | 4609 S Wallace Ln Holladay, UT 84117 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Noah Strycker saw presumably the same bird the next day |
| Date prepared: | 5/7/22 |
| Additional material: | Photos, |
| Additional comments: |
Possibly a second swift since every time I would scan around the pond, I
would see a Vaux's Swift which seemed unlikely if there was only one bird
present. Here is my ebird checklist for the sighting: https://ebird.org/checklist/S107836437 |