Blue-and-white Swallow

Scientific Name: Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

Population Estimate: 5-50M

Range / Habitat: Open areas and forest edges from lowlands to elevations of 4000M Breeds from Nicaragua south throughout South America, except in the deserts and Amazon Basin.

Field Notes: Swallow with shimmery blue head and back, black wings and undertail coverts, white throat, chest and belly. Tree Swallow has white undertail coverts. Mangrove Swallow more green with white undertail coverts and white rump.

Personal Notes: Seen at Monteverde Lodge, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallow

Scientific Name: Tachycineta albilinea

Population Estimate: 500K to 5M

Range / Habitat: Tropical and subtropical mangrove forest throughout Mexico and Central America.

Field Notes: Neck and underparts white. Head, back and wings blue to green. Distinctive white rump seen while perched and in flight. This white rump helps distinguish from Blue-and-white Swallow and Tree Swallow.

Personal Notes: Seen on Ambergris Caye and in Aquacate, Belize.

Sand Martin

Scientific Name: Riparia riparia

Population Estimate: 50M

Range / Habitat: Summers in the northern US, Canada, Alaska. Winters in the tropics. Also common throughout Europe and Asia. Favors inland wetland areas.

Field Notes: Typical swallow / martin that is brown above and white below with a brown chest band. The Northern Rough-winged Swallow is similar but lacks the chest band.

Personal Notes: Also known as a Bank Swallow. This was a pleasant (but not uncommon) surprise find in Alaska among several Tree and Barn Swallows.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Scientific Name: Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Population Estimate: 15M

Range / Habitat: Summers in the entire US. Can winter in parts along the Gulf Coast but primarily found in the Yucatan and Central America. Favors inland wetlands including rivers and streams. 

Field Notes: Somewhat dull plumage for a swallow -- brown above and white below. It is similar to a Sand Martin but without the brown band across the chest.

Personal Notes: As our birding skills have increased we have been able to identify this bird on our own. We required a guide the first few times in San Blas, Mexico and Salt Lake City. By the time we saw this bird in Minnesota, it was an old friend.

Barn Swallow

Scientific Name: Hirundo rustica

Population Estimate: 190M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Most common swallow world wide, throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and into northern Australia. Breeding is in the Northern Hemisphere summer with winters in the Southern Hemisphere. Nests in barns and other man-made structures. 

Field Notes: Iridescent blue on top, rufous chin, and light brown underneath with a long, forked tail. The Cliff Swallow can look similar but lacks the long forked tail, is generally white on the breast, and has a white forehead mark. Easily distinguished from other swallows in flight by its long forked tail.

Personal Notes: One of our best bird pictures to date!

Tree Swallow

Scientific Name: Tachycineta bicolor

Population Estimate: 20M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Breed in open habitats such as fields and wetlands, usually adjacent to water across northern US, Canada and Alaska. Winters in Baja, the Gulf coast of the US, Florida and into Mexico.

Field Notes: Medium-sized swallow with glossy, blue-green upperparts and contrasting white underparts. The wings are long and the tail only shallowly forked.

Personal Notes:

Cliff Swallow

Scientific Name: Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Population Estimate: 90M

Range: Winters in much of South America. Summers in most of Mexico, the US, and Canada into Alaska.

Field Notes: Builds gourd-shaped nests on buildings, cliffs, and under bridges. Blue back, rufous chin, white belly and a white forehead stripe. Square tail used for propping as above. Lacks the forked tail of the Barn Swallow. The Tree Swallow does not have any rufous coloring.

Personal Notes: Such a fun group of birds to watch building and interacting at their nests.

Welcome Swallow

Scientific Name: Hirundo neoxena

Population Estimate: Unknown, but of Least Concern status

Range: Native to Australia with breeding established in New Zealand in the 1950s. The species is migratory in parts of Australia but not in New Zealand.

Field Notes: Deeply forked tail, bright blue back, rufous face and throat, white breast. Similar in appearance to the common Barn Swallow, though the range only overlaps in northern Australia.

Personal Notes: Only common swallow in New Zealand.