Orochelidon flavipes
The Pale-footed Swallow, *Orochelidon flavipes*, is a slender, elegant passerine distinguished by its glossy blue-black upperparts and contrasting pure white underparts. A key identifying feature, and the inspiration for its name, is its pale, often bright yellow, legs and feet, unique among most swallows in its range. Measuring approximately 12-13 cm in length with a wingspan of about 30-32 cm and weighing between 10-15 grams, it possesses the characteristic deeply forked tail of its family,...
Found primarily in humid montane cloud forests, sub-páramo, and open grasslands of the high Andes, typically between 1,500 and 3,500 meters elevation.
Exclusively insectivorous, primarily consuming small flying insects suchatch as flies, beetles, and moths, captured on the wing during agile aerial pursuits.
This diurnal aerial insectivore exhibits graceful, agile flight as it pursues small insects high above the canopy or over open clearings. Often observed singly, in pairs, or small to medium-sized flocks, sometimes mixed with other swallow species, particularly outside the breeding season. Pale-fo...
The Pale-footed Swallow is endemic to the Andes Mountains of South America, with its distribution extending from western Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, into central Bolivia. Its breeding range encompasses the humid montane forests and sub-páramo zones, generally occurring at...
Least Concern
- The Pale-footed Swallow's scientific name, *Orochelidon flavipes*, translates to 'mountain swallow with yellow feet', aptly describing its key features. - Its distinctive pale yellow legs and feet are a crucial field mark, differentiating it from other dark-plumaged swallows in its range. - Unl...