Tree swallow • Tachycineta bicolor
Photos by Josh Silberg.
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Identification
This distinctive little songbird is easily recognized by its iridescent dark greenish-blue back and head. This beautiful colour, which is more greenish in fall, contrasts strongly with the bird's bright white underparts. The wings are blackish, and there is a thin black mask between the eyes. Juvenile plumage is greyish-brown above instead of greenish-blue, while female plumage can be a bit more brownish even in older individuals. Both juveniles and occasionally females may have a faint, indistinct greyish-brown breast band.
Habitat & Range
During the breeding season this species inhabit semi-open areas near water bodies such as ponds or marshes, where there is a good amount of flying insects to eat. It nests in holes in dead and live trees, as well as nest boxes, holes in fence posts, and eaves. Its breeding range stretches across most of North America, while its winter range extends from the southern coastlines of the United States into Mexico and Central America.
Similar Species
The violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) is, as its name suggests, greenish above with purplish wings. The white on the lower part of its face extends up above the eyes, unlike the tree swallow.
Intriguing Info
This species migrates in huge flocks, sometimes consisting of hundreds of thousands of birds. When they gather just before sunset to roost the flock can appear like a swirling, living cloud or tornado (see video below).
While tree swallows mostly eat insects they snatch from the air while in flight, they also eat other invertebrates like spiders and sand fleas, as well as berries and seeds. The plant-based portion of their diet is particularly important in winter, when insects are less readily available.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/11935-Tachycineta-bicolor
This distinctive little songbird is easily recognized by its iridescent dark greenish-blue back and head. This beautiful colour, which is more greenish in fall, contrasts strongly with the bird's bright white underparts. The wings are blackish, and there is a thin black mask between the eyes. Juvenile plumage is greyish-brown above instead of greenish-blue, while female plumage can be a bit more brownish even in older individuals. Both juveniles and occasionally females may have a faint, indistinct greyish-brown breast band.
Habitat & Range
During the breeding season this species inhabit semi-open areas near water bodies such as ponds or marshes, where there is a good amount of flying insects to eat. It nests in holes in dead and live trees, as well as nest boxes, holes in fence posts, and eaves. Its breeding range stretches across most of North America, while its winter range extends from the southern coastlines of the United States into Mexico and Central America.
Similar Species
The violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) is, as its name suggests, greenish above with purplish wings. The white on the lower part of its face extends up above the eyes, unlike the tree swallow.
Intriguing Info
This species migrates in huge flocks, sometimes consisting of hundreds of thousands of birds. When they gather just before sunset to roost the flock can appear like a swirling, living cloud or tornado (see video below).
While tree swallows mostly eat insects they snatch from the air while in flight, they also eat other invertebrates like spiders and sand fleas, as well as berries and seeds. The plant-based portion of their diet is particularly important in winter, when insects are less readily available.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/11935-Tachycineta-bicolor
References
Tree Swallow. The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online. Accessed 17/06/2016.
Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor. Audubon Birds. National Audubon Society. Accessed 16/06/2016.
Dunn, J. L. and Alderfer, J. (Eds.). (2011). National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. (6th Ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. Pp. 370-371.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell (2016).
Tree Swallow. The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online. Accessed 17/06/2016.
Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor. Audubon Birds. National Audubon Society. Accessed 16/06/2016.
Dunn, J. L. and Alderfer, J. (Eds.). (2011). National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. (6th Ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. Pp. 370-371.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell (2016).