Tree Martin
Petrochelidon nigricans
Small swallow dark above, pale below, with grayish rump and notched tail. Call is a pleasant twittering, unlike harsh call of Fairy Martin, which has paler rump and rusty crown. Found throughout Australia in many habitats, including urban areas.
Identification
The tree martin averages 13 cm (5.1 in) in length and has a shallowly forked tail. The adult has an iridescent blue back and crown, brown wings and tail, a rufous forehead and a whitish rump. The underparts are white. The sexes are similar, but young birds are duller and browner, with a paler forehead and pale fringes to the back and wing feathers.<p>The call of this vocal swallow is a tsweet and the song is a high-pitched twitter.<p>This species can be distinguished from other Australian swallows by its tail shape and pale rump. The most similar species, the fairy martin, has a rufous head and nape.
Taxonomy
The tree martin was formally described in 1817 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot under the binomial name Hirundo nigricans. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "blackish". Vieillot gave the type locality as "Nouvelle-Hollande" (New South Wales) but this has been corrected to Hobart, Tasmania. The tree martin is now one of ten swallows placed in the genus Petrochelidon that was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis.<p>Three subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Petrochelidon nigricans
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1817)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Petrochelidon
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Tree martins breed, depending on region, from July through to January, either in pairs or semi-colonially depending on nest site availability. Nests are constructed in natural holes in dead trees or rock crevices, but increasingly in artificial sites on bridges and buildings. This is most common in western Australia, where breeding occurs even in large cities like Adelaide and Perth. Tree martins also occasionally reline the nests of welcome swallows, and may displace the owners to obtain the nest.<p>The nest, unusually for a cliff swallow, is often made just from grass and leaves, but may be reinforced with mud. A mud and plant fibre cement is also used to reduce the width of the entrance to the breeding hole. The clutch is 3–5, usually four, brown and mauve-spotted white eggs, and this species is often double-brooded.<p>Tree martins have a fast twisting flight and feed higher than welcome swallows, often more than 6 m above the ground. They are frequently seen above the canopy of tall eucalyptus trees catching aerial insects, but will also feed on insect swarms low over water. This species can be highly gregarious when not breeding, and will form mixed flocks with fairy martins.<p>
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Warsangli Linnet
Linaria johannis
A fine-billed finch with a notched tail. Neatly patterned mostly in gray and white, with black wings and tail and a rufous lower back and thighs. Male has a striking white eyebrow, lower cheek patch, wing notch, and rump. Female is duller, with a less striking facial pattern; juvenile is buffier and streakier. A rare resident in the hilly Daalo and Mash Caleed regions of northern Somalia, where it prefers degraded juniper forest and other woodland and scrub between 1200 and 2400 meters of elevation. Forages on the ground in pairs or small groups, and perches on exposed branches and dead trees. Sings a typical canary-like song with whistles, trills, and buzzes. Calls include a high-pitched “tsee-wit.” Streaky juvenile could be confused with a canary, but white in the wing is distinctive.
Black Antshrike
Thamnophilus nigriceps
Medium-sized antshrike found in the understory of lowland forest and edge, especially in dense thickets. Male is entirely dark glossy black with a relatively short tail and a stout, hooked bill. Female is very distinctive: rufous above with a darker blackish head and breast covered with paler streaks and a buffy-brown belly. Found in pairs, usually working their way through vine tangles or thickets. Listen for an accelerating series of clucks.
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
Attagis gayi
Chunky, generally uncommon, rather grouselike bird of the high Andes. Found in pairs or small groups on bogs, stony slopes, and in bleak moorland of puna and páramo zones. Lacey “chainmail” pattern to upperparts is beautifully cryptic, and birds sometimes freeze when alarmed making them more difficult to see. No similar species in range; note the short stout bill and rusty underparts. Flight strong and fast, and flushes with loud shrieking choruses.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.