English and Scientific names:	Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)
Number of individuals:	3; 1 juvenile
Locality: LOUISIANA:	Vermilion
Specific Locality:	Ellis Bridge Road, about halfway between Dolza and Scanlan Roads. About 3.3 mi SSW of Gueydan.
Date(s) when observed:	6/20/2010
Time(s) of day when observed:	afternoon
Reporting observer and address:	Paul Conover
Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):
Other observers who independently identified the bird(s)
Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):	birds to N, sun in SW. Sky dark w/storms behind birds.
Optical equipment:	zeiss 10s, nikon d50 w/200 mm lens.
Distance to bird(s):	ca. 15 yards
Duration of observation:	10 minutes
Habitat:	road bridge over small canal. rice agricultural/marsh country a few miles N of pure marsh.
Behavior of bird:	adults flying, juvenile bird perched. juvenile being harassed by juv cliff swallow.
Description:	the adults at this location were typical caves, with clearly buffy throats and pale napes setting off the blue crown and black lores. I watched them in flight and was unable to get photos although they were coming and going from underneath the bridge I was parked on. the juvenile was a paler copy of the adults, with slight differences. whereas the adults had dingy upper breastbands that blended into the lower edge of the buffy throat, the throat and chin of the juvenile was much paler, a buffy-whitish with just a few spots of deep buffy coming in. the breastband was much more noticeable in isolation in the juvenile. the hind-collar appeared to have the same pale color of the throat. there was a large dusky smudge on the rear of the auriculars. the rump also appeared to be whiter than in adults, again, about the same color as the chin, throat, and nape. this individual was clearly identifiable as a fledgling by its pale-based bill and gape--perhaps a pale straw--with a dusky tip. wing coverts were scalloped with pale edges against a dark base color. distal undertail and uppertail coverts with dusky smudges in interiors. inner edges of outer tail feathers edged whitish. one feature that I noted on the young bird as it perched next to a young cliff swallow was the paler mottling of the folded leading edge of the wing/shoulder/visible lesser underwing coverts. i don’t know it this was an individual or specific difference, but it bears paying attention to.
Voice:	not noted.
Similar species:	cliff swallows the main species to eliminate. the adults clearly had buffy throats, and capped looks. the juvenile has to be carefully separated from juvenile cliffs, which are said to be pale-throated at times. however, the presence of incoming buffy throat feathers, as well as the overall resemblance of the pattern of this juvenile to adult caves, should be definitive. the presence of adult cave swallows at this location adds circumstantial evidence.
Photographs or tape recordings obtained?	yes, of the juvenile.
Previous experience with this species:	yes, I've seen quite a few caves, but I am only now acquiring experience with juvenile caves.
Identification aids:
This description is written from:
Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain:	Yes.
Date and time:	08/03/2010