Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica gutturalis & H. r. tytleri) - 11 January 2013 - Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Photos © 2013 Joseph Morlan





The individuals at the top appear to be in molt and have broken tips to their outer rectrices. These buffy bellied birds are primarily winter visitors and migrants to Thailand. However they breed locally in the northern part of the country. On a recent visit to Japan, I was told that this race has undergone a precipitous decline there, the cause of which is unknown.

Unlike the other Barn Swallows in the flock, the individual at the bottom had short, rather blunt-tipped outer rectrices which were unbroken. It also appeared to be smaller than the other Barn Swallows and showed pale rufous underparts. Based on these features, we identified it as H. r. tytleri which has been recorded in Central and Southeast Thailand according to Robson. It normally breeds from southern Siberia to northern Inner Mongolia and is a migrant and winter visitor to Southern Asia.

Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LX5 | Nikon FieldScope III | 30XWA |hand-held (no adapter).
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