Can someone help me identify these? (1 Viewer)

[LIme85AW11]

At first I thought they were sparrows, but they look nothing like the sparrows in any of my books. The long wings are sparrow-like, but the coloring is not. Maybe they are juvenile? I saw these two at one of the buildings where I work. There are many house sparrows and purple martins in this area.

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hard to tell from the pics, but to me they look as if they could well be juvenile Purple Martins. That's not definite, though.

Michael

 

[crispycreme]

They do seem very swallow-ish. The white throat on the bird facing the camera is what's going to give the headaches, methinks. It's not high enough up towards the chin to qualify for a Bank Swallow. Northern Rough-winged Swallow maybe?

 

[Charles Harper]

Too brown I think for Purple Martins. The bird on the left is too hunched down to see whether that is the distinct breastband of a Sand Martin (fide crispycreme) but the white throat seems to preclude Rough-winged Swallow, so it must be Riparia riparia... mustn't it?

 

[LIme85AW11]

Too brown I think for Purple Martins. The bird on the left is too hunched down to see whether that is the distinct breastband of a Sand Martin (fide crispycreme) but the white throat seems to preclude Rough-winged Swallow, so it must be Riparia riparia... mustn't it?

Hrmm yes definitely...the white patch on the throats is odd, but I think that must be it. Not uncommon birds anywhere, I suppose, but I couldn't get any closer to them at the time. I'll try to find them again and get a better photo.

 

[Larry Lade]

I believe they might be Northern Rough-winged Swallows. The white which appears to be in the throat area of the bird on the left is perhaps a small white flower of some sort in front of the bird.

 

[Beverlybaynes]

I've only seen the Northern Rough-winged Swallow in flight, but that's certainly what comes to mind with the picture.

 

[LIme85AW11]

Sorry about the por quality photo...I couldn't get any closer, and only have a 300mm lens at the moment. I believe it is a dandilion (after giving off all it's seeds) in front of the bird, actually...good call, Larry. Thanks for all the help, everyone!

 

[streatham]

I would say NRW swallows - as someone said it looks like a flower causing the white throat - Just on sheer probability they would be NRW as they are common in CT - Bank are found mainly in the Mid/NW of the State (Shepaug Dam, White Memorial are good sites) Purple Martin mainly coastally (Hammonassett SP, Milford Point) at this time of year.

Luke

 

[Charles Harper]

... Done in by a dandelion. Rats.