Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena
Small swallow with long forked tail. Dark above, pale below, with a rusty breast and face. In Australia, much less common Barn Swallow has a dark chest band and is much paler below, including parts of the underwing. Common bird across open habitat, where it feeds on insects above parks, sporting fields, wetlands, and other open areas. Perches on fence rows and utility lines in large numbers.
Identification
The welcome swallow is a small fast-flying bird. Its flying style is circular in pattern with swift darting motions. It has graceful shape and flight, moreover it often fly singly, in couples or in clusters. The welcome swallow is metallic blue-black above, light grey below on the breast and belly, and rusty on the forehead, throat and upper breast. It has a long forked tail, with a row of white spots on the individual feathers. These birds are about 15 cm (5.9 in) long, including the outer tail feathers which are slightly shorter in the female. The welcome swallow's weight is about 9-20g. From the Gould collection in Tasmania a “natural size” male had a wing size of 11.1 cm (4.4 in), tail size of 7.4 cm (2.9 in), and a culmen of 0.7 cm (0.28 in). While the female has 10.9 cm (4.3 in) wings, a 6.25 cm (2.46 in) tail, and a culmen of 0.7 cm (0.28 in). The call is a mixture of twittering and soft warbling notes, and a sharp whistle in alarm. However, their call is normally quiet and does not carry very far.<p>Young welcome swallows are buffy white, instead of rufous, on the forehead and throat, and have shorter tail streamers.
Taxonomy
The welcome swallow was first described in 1842 by John Gould in his The Birds of Australia as a member of the genus Hirundo, but the first publication is often incorrectly given as in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Both its species name and common name refer to people welcoming its return as a herald of spring in southern parts of Australia.
- Scientific name
- Hirundo neoxena
- Authority
- Gould, 1842
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Hirundo
Range and habitat
The winter range in northern Australia overlaps with that of wintering barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), but the latter is readily separable by its blue breast band. Welcome swallows readily breed close to human habitation. Welcome swallows are commonly found on wires, posts and other perches.<p>Welcome swallows have a very large distributional range because they are a cross-regional species. Welcome swallows live mostly in eastern, western, southern and central Australia. The welcome swallows that live in eastern Australia move to northern Australia in winter. The welcome swallows that live in Western Australia and others that live in New Zealand are mostly not migratory. This swallow species has been observed nesting in the majority of New Zealand and its surrounding islands, Australia and some parts of Tasmania. Currently, this species has been recorded in New Guinea, New Caledonia and other surrounding islands. The distribution of the welcome swallow also depends on seasonal change. During the winter, the welcome swallow in Australia will move towards the north which places it closer to the equator and warm weather. For the following spring, they will return to southern Australia to breed.<p>The welcome swallow is a self-introduced species from Australia that is believed to have flown over to New Zealand in the early 1900s. The welcome swallow is found throughout most parts of New Zealand, but it is very rare in Fiordland. The shape of New Zealand is narrow and long, which helped the birds to easily get to areas near water. They are also on Chatham and Kermadec Islands and in some instances have been seen on Campbell Island, Auckland Island and the Snares.<p>Although welcome swallows are more often near coastal and wetland areas, they can live in almost all types of habitat, except alpine areas and very dense forest. They have been documented in open areas such as farmlands, grasslands, partly cleared areas that are wooded, lands associated with bodies of water such as lakes or reservoirs, and along coastlines. This species is well-adapted for urban and suburban life as well; it is even able to live in high altitude areas due to the provision of nesting materials provided by humans. During winter, welcome swallows move to a warmer habitat which can provide them enough food and safe shelter.
- Breeding range
- AU : Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (e of Australia), New Zealand and n outlying is.
- Non-breeding range
- to inland and n Australia, and New Caledonia
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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