Visual Search | Wizard | Browse
Bird name:
Home| Search| Browser| Expert| Forum| Store| My WhatBird| Help| Site Map

Bahama Swallow

Tachycineta cyaneoviridisOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Swallows (Hirundinidae)
Codes: Common Name: BAHS Scientific Name: TACCYA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178432
Vulnerable
 
Bahama Swallow Breeding Male
Copyright © 2004 - 2008 Whatbird.com






Rate this Illustration: Excellent Very Good Good
Fair Below Avg Poor

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Bahama Swallow: Medium-sized swallow with dark blue-green upperparts and cap extending below eye, and steel-blue wings, white chin, throat and underparts, and deeply forked tail. The bill, legs and feet are black. Swift, graceful flight, alternating rapid wing beats with long glides.

Range and Habitat

Bahama Swallow: Casual to Florida Keys and south Florida mainland; occurs in the northern Bahamas during the summer, but ranges throughout the Bahamas and eastern Cuba at other times. Preferred habitats include islands with pine trees for breeding.

Topo Map: Swallow-like Body


Voice Text

"chep", "chi-chep"

Interesting Facts

 The Bahama Swallow is found in eastern Cuba and throughout the Bahamas, but only breeds in pine forests on four islands in the northern Bahamas; Andros, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and New Providence.

 The near threatened status of this poorly known species stems from the limited extent of pine forest breeding habitat, a history of logging in that habitat, and potential competition from exotic secondary cavity-nesters.

 They are the most restricted geographically and possibly have the smallest population size of any Tachycineta species.

 A group of swallows has many collective nouns, including a "gulp", "herd", "kettle", "richness", and "sord" of swallows.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

Splitbar
Range Map for Bahama Swallow

.
Family Swallow (Hirundinidae)_blue
Species Tachycineta cyaneoviridis
Length5.5 - 6 Inches
Wingspan11.5 Inches

Bahama Swallow

Bahama Swallow: Medium-sized swallow with dark blue-green upperparts and cap extending below eye, and steel-blue wings, white chin, throat and underparts, and deeply forked tail. The bill, legs and feet are black. Swift, graceful flight, alternating rapid wing beats with long glides.

● Song: "chep", "chi-chep"

● Foraging & Feeding: Bahama Swallow: Feeds on flying insects caught on the wing, primarily in or around piney woods.

● Breeding & nesting: Bahama Swallow: Three white eggs are laid in a nest made of grass and leaves, lined with finer materials, and built in a tree, stump, or under a building eave. Incubation ranges from 13 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Bahama Swallow: Tree Swallow lacks white underwing linings and deeply forked tail.

Flight Pattern

Swift graceful flight alternating rapid wing beats with long glides.
Bahama Swallow Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Bahama Swallow: Casual to Florida Keys and south Florida mainland; occurs in the northern Bahamas during the summer, but ranges throughout the Bahamas and eastern Cuba at other times. Preferred habitats include islands with pine trees for breeding.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary to colonial
PopulationUncommon to casual
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight0.6 Ounces
Swallow-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
CapX
The area on top of the head of the bird.
ChinX
The area of the face just below the bill.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

Read more...
ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

Read more...
Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX