Date: 8/6/25 2:41 pm From: Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: White-bellied Barn Swallow
H. R, rustiva has an unbroken breast band. I was not sure if the bird in question did, and said, but I think so. On furthrt reflection I’m fairly sure it did nilt. I was comparing the bird with other other barn swallows and I think if its breast band was complete and wide v.s.
narrow broken, it would have been noticeable. The only part that was missing pigment was the breast and belly below the broken breast band. Yes I know the blue is structural. The birds throat was normally colored.
It is not uncommon for a pigment problem to only occur on a certain part of the bird. Look at Eastern and Spotted Towhees, The spotted lacks pigment in areas the Eastern does not.
I think we have a bias toward spectral colors. I know I do. Who would deny the beauty of a male Painted Bunting, but there is also beauty in the wing feathers of a Long-billed Dowitcher, where individual feathers show black and orange and white. Getting those pigment granules to the right places and in the proper numbers on a dowitcher’s wing feathers is an amazing thing. I read a paper once discussing how the leopard got its spots, R. Kipling was not an author, I remember nothing from that paper whatsoever . I suppose the same method could also apply to a Dowitcher’s wings.
Ian MacGregor Bella Vista
On Wed, Aug 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM, Adam Schaffer <[<000000135bd342dd-dmarc-request...>](mailto:On Wed, Aug 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM, Adam Schaffer <<a href=)> wrote:
> The one I saw did not look lecuistic. Its colors were all very bright. It really seemed to match the picture of Hirundo rustica rustica that I saw. I just don’t know how likely that is, but it seemed to match to me. I mean we all know how easy it is to miss field marks on a single swallow in a feeding flock, but it stood out to be sure.
>
> Adam Schaffer
> Bentonville
>
>> On Aug 5, 2025, at :34 PM, Carol Joan Patterson <0000003a0ccbe138-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>>
>
>>
>>
>> I have seen leucistic animals of multiple species, perhaps this is an example.
>>
>> On Monday, July 28, 2025 at 02:08:22 PM CDT, Ian MacGregor <00000489141846bd-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>>
>> This morning while searching in vain for a lost lens cap at Charlie Craig, I noticed an adult Barn Swallow in excellent plumage with a gleaming white underparts. It really stood out from the other swallows. I also saw one last spring, and IIRC, Robert Langston also reported one
>> from Charlie Craig as well. I've seen young Barn Swallows that look whitish, but this was definitely and adult with a deeply forked tail and underparts sa white as a Tree Swallow's. It also had a reddish throat. I cannot say for certain if it had the blue breast-band. I think it did, but I did not note it.
>>
>> I doubt it was Hirundo rustica rustica, but it sure looked like one. What is a more plausible explanation as to what type of Barn Swallow this might be?
>>
>> Unfortunately, my camera battery died, so no photographs.
>>
>> Ian MacGregort
>>
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