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Greetings, Thoughts on the what I am now going to call a Mangrove Swallow. 1. The rump is completely white including the upper tail coverts. The only part of the tail that is flat black are the tail feathers. The undertail coverts are also white. 2. The tertials and possibly the innermost secondaries are white tipped. 3. The wing extension is about 1/2 centimeter. It should be longer if it was a VG Swallow. 4. The green color of the back up thru the nape was not the green of the VGS. The back of the head and cap was black. 5.I think the bird is a first year bird. 6. There was white in front of the eye with a very thin line extending back to the eye. This mark was sometimes hard to see but I clearly saw it on several occasions. I later learned this is a definitive mark. 7. The bird was barrel chested, and wide winged not like the VGS. 8. The tail was almost square maybe a little notched. 9. The flight was definitely different from the Tree Swallow's. I have a hard time describing flight so we'll leave it at that. 10. The eye was in the dark part of the face. The auriculars were dark and the dark faded down into the lower neck. I am having a hard time describing this feature. 11. I think it is significant that the bird is with the Mexican Cave Swallows. 12. There were some white marks on the leading edge of the wing, could have been wear. "So many species so little time" John Hintermister Gainesville, Fl. ______________________________________________________________________ FLORIDABIRDS-L Listserv mailing list information: Policy,sub.info: http://bkpass.tripod.com/FLORIDABIRDS-L.htm Member photos: http://bkpass.tripod.com/floridabirds.htm For archives: http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/floridabirds-l.html Set nomail: Click: [log in to unmask] Set floridabirds-l nomail Listowner: Click: [log in to unmask]