Hirondelle messagère
Hirundo neoxena
Petite hirondelle à longue queue fourchue. Foncée dessus, pâle dessous, avec une poitrine et une face rousses. En Australie, l'Hirondelle rustique, beaucoup moins commune, a une bande pectorale foncée et est beaucoup plus pâle dessous, y compris sous les ailes. Oiseau commun des habitats ouverts, où il se nourrit d'insectes au-dessus des parcs, terrains de sport, zones humides et autres zones ouvertes. Il se perche en grand nombre sur les clôtures et les lignes électriques.
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.
Taxonomie
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.
- Nom scientifique
- Hirundo neoxena
- Autorité
- Gould, 1842
- Ordre
- Passériformes
- Famille
- Hirundinidae
- Genre
- Hirondelle
Répartition et 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.
- Aire de reproduction
- AU : Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (e of Australia), New Zealand and n outlying is.
- Aire hors reproduction
- to inland and n Australia, and New Caledonia
- Migration
- Migrateurs complets
Comportement
Mode de migration: Migrateurs complets.
Conservation
Tendance de la population: en hausse.
- Tendance de la population
- en hausse
Photos
Distribution
Chants d'Oiseaux
Autres Oiseaux
Fou brun
Sula leucogaster
Grand oiseau marin des eaux côtières et hauturières dans les régions tropicales des océans Atlantique, Indien et Pacifique occidental. La tête, le cou et les parties supérieures sont uniformément bruns. L'adulte a un ventre blanc bien délimité et l'immature a un ventre brun variablement tacheté qui est rarement uniformément brun. À comparer avec les autres fous et avec le Fou de Bassan juvénile. Souvent observé depuis les plages, parfois juste au-delà des brisants. Se reproduit en colonies sur les îles au large, nichant au sol. Apparaît plus régulièrement ces derniers temps comme vagabond sur les lacs intérieurs et les réservoirs aux États-Unis et au Canada, et plus au nord le long de la côte atlantique. Similaire au Fou de Cocos, récemment séparé, mais généralement distingué par l'aire de répartition et ne montre jamais une tête blanchâtre.
Pluvier de Wilson
Anarhynchus wilsonia
Son grand bec noir est un trait diagnostique. Légèrement plus grand que les pluviers similaires, avec une tête large et carrée. Le plumage nuptial présente une épaisse bande noire sur la poitrine, un front blanc et un motif facial plus marqué ; les oiseaux en plumage internuptial montrent moins de contraste. Les pattes sont rosâtres ternes. On le trouve sur les plages de sable, généralement seul mais parfois en petits groupes lâches. Le dessus brun moyen est similaire mais légèrement plus pâle que celui du Pluvier semipalmé, et nettement plus foncé que celui du Pluvier neigeux ou du Pluvier siffleur.
Coracine ornée
Cephalopterus ornatus
Fantastique oiseau de la région amazonienne et des pentes andines adjacentes. Il ressemble à un énorme corbeau avec une huppe touffue, une épaisse tresse pendante de sa gorge et des yeux pâles. Le mâle est plus grand que la femelle, avec une caroncule (plumée) plus longue et une tache blanche à l'avant de sa huppe. Son vol est ondulant et semblable à celui d'un pic. Il habite les forêts tropicales humides hautes, souvent le long des rivières, et les mâles se rassemblent sur des sites de parade où ils étendent leurs caroncules et émettent des « meuglements » graves.
Commencez votre Voyage d'Observation d'Oiseaux
Identifiez les oiseaux dehors et gardez le guide à portée de main pour votre prochaine observation.