Figure 1. Progne tapera fusca can easily be recognized by the band of gray-brown dots running down the median breast. In Fazenda Canaã, a flock of over 100 of these swallows could often be seen sitting on the wire that provided electricity to the farm house. The bird above is one of them.

The date of the photo (28-february) is interesting. These swallows breed in southern South America, and migrate north for wintering. Our bird, and his flock, must have left their southern grounds quite early. This confirms Sick 1997, who wrote that the forming of migratory flocks in Rio de Janeiro can be observed as early as february (p. 680).