Tachycineta bicolor
The Tree Swallow, *Tachycineta bicolor*, is a remarkably elegant and adaptable passerine, renowned for its shimmering plumage and aerial agility. Adults typically measure 12-15 cm (4.7-5.9 in) in length with a wingspan of 30-34 cm (12-13 in) and weigh 17-21 grams (0.6-0.7 oz). Their striking appearance features iridescent blue-green upperparts, which can appear deep blue, green, or even black depending on the light, contrasting sharply with their pristine white underparts. A slightly forked t...
Found in open areas near water (lakes, rivers, marshes, coasts) with available nesting cavities or artificial nest boxes. Typically occurs at low to moderate elevations.
Primarily aerial insects such as flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and dragonflies, caught in flight. During colder periods or insect scarcity, they supplement their diet with a unique ability to digest waxy fruits, particularly bayberries and wax myrtle berries.
Tree Swallows are highly diurnal, spending their days foraging in acrobatic flight and resting on wires or branches, often forming large, communal roosts outside the breeding season. They are expert aerial insectivores, continuously hawking for flying insects over water bodies or open fields with...
The breeding range of the Tree Swallow spans broadly across North America, from Alaska and throughout Canada, extending south into the continental United States, primarily east of the arid Southwest. Key breeding strongholds include the Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes Region, and New England. Duri...
Least Concern
- Tree Swallows are one of the few passerine birds capable of digesting waxy fruits, allowing them to survive cold snaps and insect scarcity, and pushing their northern migratory limits. - Their nests are often elaborately lined with an astonishing number of feathers, sometimes thousands, collect...