Birds: Swifts and Martins
Not to be confused with swallows, which are varied and spectacular in their own right, there are some other clever flying birds that are often mis-identified with swallows. Purple Martins, for example, are larger than swallows, but their flight patterns and diets are very similar. They fill up those congregational housing units with profusion in late spring. Their iridescence on the maleś is magnificent and covers most of their bodies. At certain angles the plumage appears black.
Swifts, on the other hand, have stubby bodies and seem to use their tails far less than either swifts or swallows. One ornithologist explained swifts as “cigars with wings,” which seems pretty apt. They do have forked tails, but it is harder to see the fork, particularly on the Chimney Swift and the Vaux Swift.
The Vaux Swift species was VERY common in the woods around Portland, Oregon, and they would have daily mermerizations into the Chapman School chimney in late September. The Vaux Swifts were at one time a constant reminder of fall, as they were heading south for the winter. Over the last few seasons, however, their patterns have changed. Not sure if it is from global warming or from other matters, but the usual stomping grounds for the Vaux have changed.
Henry E. Hooper 