Tachycineta cyaneoviridis
The Bahama Swallow (*Tachycineta cyaneoviridis*) is a striking New World Swallow, endemic primarily to the northern islands of the Bahamas. Averaging 12-14 cm (5-6 inches) in length with a wingspan of approximately 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) and weighing around 12-15 grams, its slender body is adorned with brilliant, iridescent blue-green upperparts that shimmer in sunlight, contrasting sharply with its pure white underparts. A deeply forked tail is a key identification feature, along with a dis...
Primarily found in mature Caribbean Pine forests, especially those with open understories and scattered clearings, often near freshwater sources. It also forages over open country, coastal areas, and wetlands, generally at low elevations.
Exclusively insectivorous, primarily consuming a wide variety of flying insects caught during agile, sustained aerial pursuits.
Bahama Swallows are highly aerial and active throughout the day, spending most of their time in graceful flight hawking for insects. Outside the breeding season, they often form communal roosts in trees, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, offering safety in numbers. During the breeding season, ...
The Bahama Swallow is primarily endemic to the northern islands of the Bahamas, where it breeds on Grand Bahama, Abaco, New Providence, and Andros. While historically widespread across these islands, its breeding range has contracted significantly, particularly from New Providence due to habitat ...
Endangered
- The Bahama Swallow is one of only two swallow species endemic to the Caribbean, the other being the Golden Swallow (*Tachycineta euchrysea*) of Hispaniola. - It relies almost exclusively on mature Caribbean Pine forests for nesting, making it particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and severe s...