Hi all, Pat and I headed into Brooklyn based on Doug's photos, which raised doubts about it being a Purple Martin. I have to say that our views of the bird in life pointed even more strongly away from Purple Martin. In addition to the features obvious in the photos, especially the underparts pattern, I saw this martin as a smaller and much more "normal" swallow than Purple Martin in terms of shape and flight action. For instance, it wasn't strikingly different from Tree Swallows, unlike the inevitable impressions given by PUMA over time, which reveal grotesque looks, owing to the overall size, long neck, large bill, etc. This bird never gave a starling-like impression. The plumage also deviates from my experience with PUMA, especially the all white undertail coverts and neat division between snowy belly and gray-brown upper breast.
I know very little about the three taxa of "Snowy-bellied Martin" and only moderately more about Gray-breasted Martin. I completely understand what Doug meant about PUMA being the "null hypothesis" but seeing the bird in life helped me to strongly doubt that interpretation. Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________________ From: bounce-125512311-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-125512311-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Doug Gochfeld [fresha2...@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, April 1, 2021 6:28 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell edu Subject: [nysbirds-l] Prospect Park (likely) Caribbean/Cuban Martin continuing The apparent “Snowy-bellied” Martin on Prospect Lake has been continuing on and off in Prospect Park all afternoon, since my last message. It is ranging widely around the lake from end-to-end, but the base and tip of the peninsula remain good general vantage points. It spent a long time at one point at the SW corner of the lake. Good Birding -Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> ABA<http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
