Hirundo neoxena
The Welcome Swallow, Hirundo neoxena, is a small, agile passerine renowned for its aerial grace and close association with human habitation across Australasia. Measuring approximately 13-17 cm (5.1-6.7 in) in length with a wingspan of 25-30 cm (9.8-11.8 in) and weighing 10-18 grams, it boasts iridescent blue-black upperparts, a distinguishing rufous-orange forehead, throat, and breast, and a clean whitish belly. Its most iconic field mark is its deeply forked tail, often displaying a row of s...
This adaptable species thrives in open country, farmlands, coastal cliffs, and urban/suburban environments, almost always near human structures or natural sheltered ledges. It is typically found from sea level up to moderate elevations in hilly terrain.
Welcome Swallows are obligate aerial insectivores, feeding exclusively on small flying insects such as flies, beetles, moths, and aphids. They capture prey deftly on the wing, often in swift, acrobatic pursuits.
Welcome Swallows are highly diurnal and spend much of their waking hours in constant, graceful flight, hawking for insects. They are generally monogamous, with pairs often forming for life and returning to the same nesting sites annually. Courtship involves elaborate aerial chases and displays, w...
The Welcome Swallow boasts a wide and largely stable geographic distribution across Australasia. Its primary breeding range encompasses nearly all of mainland Australia, Tasmania, and extends across both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, which it naturally colonized from Australia begin...
Least Concern
- The 'Welcome' in their name comes from their habit of nesting close to human dwellings, often under verandahs or eaves, bringing a sense of warmth and familiarity to homesteads. - This species naturally colonized New Zealand from Australia in the 20th century, a rare example of a self-introduce...