Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolorOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Swallows (Hirundinidae)

Codes: Common Name: TRES Scientific Name: TACBIC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178431

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Marshes, freshwater, Swamps, Grasslands

Breeding Type:

Polygamous, Loose colonies

Breeding Population:

Increasing, Abundant

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

4 - 6

Incubation Days:

13 - 16

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Lined with down., Dried grass and plant stems

Migration:

Migratory

General

Tree Swallow: Medium-sized swallow with iridescent blue-green upperparts and white underparts. Wings are dark gray and tail is dark and forked. Female and juvenile are duller.

Range and Habitat

Tree Swallow: Breeds from Alaska east through northern Manitoba to Newfoundland and south to California, Colorado, Nebraska, and Maryland. Spends winters north to southern California, the Gulf Coast, and the Carolinas. Preferred habitats include open areas near water, such as fields, marshes, meadows, shorelines, beaver ponds, and wooded swamps with standing dead trees.

Breeding and Nesting

Tree Swallow: Four to six white eggs are laid in a feather-lined cup of grass built in a tree cavity or nest box. Incubation ranges from 13 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Tree Swallow: Feeds mostly on insects caught while in flight; also forages on the ground for insects, spiders, seeds, and berries; may travel long distances to find food.

Vocalization

Tree Swallow: Song is a cheerful series of liquid twitters.

Similar Species

Tree Swallow: Violet-green Swallow has more white on rump and face and greener upperparts. Bank Swallow is smaller, duller, and has breast band. Northern Rough-winged Swallow has dark throat and warmer brown upperparts.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow: Medium-sized swallow with iridescent blue-green upperparts and white underparts. The wings are dark gray and tail is dark and forked. Black bill, legs and feet. Swift, graceful flight, alternates slow, deep wing beats with short or long glides. Turns back sharply on insects it passes.

● Song: "chi-veet"

● Foraging & Feeding: Tree Swallow: Feeds mostly on insects caught while in flight; also forages on the ground for insects, spiders, seeds, and berries; may travel long distances to find food.

● Breeding & nesting: Tree Swallow: Four to six white eggs are laid in a feather-lined cup of grass built in a tree cavity or nest box. Incubation ranges from 13 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Tree Swallow: Violet-green Swallow has more white on rump and face and greener upperparts. Bank Swallow is smaller, duller, and has breast band. Northern Rough-winged Swallow has dark throat and warmer brown upperparts.

Flight Pattern

Swift graceful flight with slow deep wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Tree Swallow: Breeds from Alaska east through northern Manitoba to Newfoundland and south to California, Colorado, Nebraska, and Maryland. Spends winters north to southern California, the Gulf Coast, and the Carolinas. Preferred habitats include open areas near water, such as fields, marshes, meadows, shorelines, beaver ponds, and wooded swamps with standing dead trees.

^BreedingPolygamous, Loose colonies

^PopulationIncreasing, Abundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.7 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Tree Swallow

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Tree Swallow

Flight Pattern