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Cave Swallow Colony in New Mexico

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Cave Swallow Colony in New Mexico.-In June, 1952, the junior author discovered about 40 live birds, 20 dried mummies, and several nests of the Cave Swallow (Petrockeltdon fulva pallida) in Goat Cave, about eight miles southwest of the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns, Eddy’ County, New Mexico. He took two of the well-feathered mummies back for storage in the naturalist’s office at Carlsbad Park headquarters.

On July 21, 1953, we found 24 live Cave Swallows and 11 nests in Goat Cave, and two specimens were collected for the National Park Service.

On June 26, 1956, J. Stokley Ligon estimated that there were about 15 pairs of swallows “using” Goat Cave. He took an adult male, which is now number 1998 in his collection.

A month’s survey by Kincaid in the summer of 1953 indicated that the closest cave used by Cave Swallows is approximately 293 miles away in southwestern Edwards County in central Texas. Kerr County, Texas, which adjoins Edwards County on the northeast, is the only locality in the United States mentioned for Petrochelidon fulva pallida in the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds (fourth edition, 1931:219).

Apparently the Cave Swallow was not identified in New Mexico prior to June, 1952. Time has proved the species to be no mere accidental straggler but a regular, although local, breeding member of the New Mexican avifauna.

We are indebted to J. Stokley Ligon and Robert K. Selander for confirming the identity of the specimens of Petrochelidon f&a p&da from Goat Cave.-EDGAR KINCAID, Austin, Texas, and RICHARD PRASIL, Mt. McKinley National Pork, Almka, October 6, 1956.

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