White-backed Swallow
Cheramoeca leucosterna
A very distinctive black-and-white swallow of arid inland Australia. Prominent white upper back, with black belly and black strongly forked tail. Nests in earthen banks, including road cuts and river banks. Usually seen in small flocks. Compare Fairy and Tree Martins, which have pale rump rather than upper back, and Welcome Swallow, which has a completely dark back. Call is a clipped "chik."
识别特征
An adult white-backed swallow averages 15 cm long, similar in size to other swallows found within Australia. The adult has a mottled grey cap above white eyebrows and a grey eye. It has a dark stripe running from the lores and across the nape of the neck. The back and most of the breast is white. The belly, wings and tail are black.<p>The white-backed swallow has a deeply forked tail, with curved and pointed wings. The short bill is black; the legs and feet are grey. They have a slender, streamlined body. Their eyes consist of a prominent, dark iris. The sexes have similar colouring but during adolescence the white-backed swallow has duller colours.
分类信息
The white-backed swallow was formally described in 1841 by the English ornithologist John Gould based on a specimen collected on the banks of the Namoi River in New South Wales, Australia. Gould coined the binomial name Hirundo leucosternus. The white-backed swallow is now the only species placed in the genus Cheramoeca that was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek khēramos meaning "hole", "cleft" or "hollow" with oikeō meaning "to inhabit". The specific epithet is from the Ancient Greek leukosternos meaning "white-chested" (from leukos "white" and sternon meaning "breast"). Gould's spelling of the epithet is now considered to be incorrect. As a Latinised adjective the epithet should agree with a feminine genus name which means that the original binomial name should be written as Hirundo leucosterna. The white-backed swallow is sometimes referred to as the "black-and-white swallow" or the "white-breasted swallow". Phylogenetic analysis has shown that the white-backed swallow is most closely related to the grey-rumped swallow (Pseudhirundo griseopyga) that is widely distributed across Africa.
- 学名
- Cheramoeca leucosterna
- 命名信息
- (Gould, 1841)
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Hirundinidae
- 属
- Cheramoeca
分布与栖息地
White-backed swallows are endemic to Australia and have a wide population distribution on the continent. They can be found from the southern latitudes of Australia and their range extends to the Tropic of Capricorn. Occasionally, after inland rainfall, white-backed swallows can extend their range to encompass the entire southern portion of Australia including the desert regions. White-backed swallows prefer open country, above open grassland and low shrubs. During the breeding season, they have a strong preference for habitats around creek beds.<p>There is no population count, but the species is reported to be common. Due to range expansion from land clearance and mining, the population is estimated to be increasing. Due to the large range and increasing population, the white-backed swallow is categorised as least concern by the IUCN.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
White-backed swallows are insectivorous and feed in-flight on insects, like all known swallows. The composition of their diet varies by geographic region and with the time of year. They typically nest by digging a horizontal tunnel into a vertical dirt cliff. Predation of swallows nests is known to occur, typically from foxes and cats.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- rising
照片
分布
其他鸟类
Golden Swallow
Tachycineta euchrysea
A graceful aerial feeder often found swooping for insects over pine woodlands or perched in tall snags. The Tree Swallow is rather similar, but has a blue-green rather than golden-green iridescence above. Also, the Tree Swallow has a less deeply forked tail and lacks the white on the side of neck that is present on the Golden Swallow. Vocalizations include a scratchy “chit-it” or “chit,” a sweet inflected “ch-yoy,” and various musical twitters.
Black-headed Lapwing
Vanellus tectus
An attractive lapwing with a black-and-white head, a brown back, and pale underparts. There is a thin black crest and a black line down the center of the breast. In flight, reveals broad white bands across the wings. Found in dry savanna habitats. Mostly active at night, early in the morning, and late in the day. Often in pairs or small groups. Not easily confused with other lapwings. The call is a strident, wooden, repeated “krep.”
Sooty Falcon
Falco concolor
Slim, long-winged, long-tailed falcon that is built for long-distance migration. Adults are all gray, while juveniles have pale, spotted underparts. Breeds on cliffs along the coast or in the desert. During migration and winter, spends most of its time on the wing, and can be seen over any habitat. Quite social, and often seen in loose flocks of dozens or more. Adult is very similar to the dark-morph adult Eleanora’s Falcon, but Sooty is paler gray. Immatures also very similar, but immature Sooty has an unbarred tail without a rufous tip. Much longer wings and tail than Peregrine Falcon. Larger and lankier than other falcons.
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