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
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren
Hylacola pyrrhopygia
Small bird of dense heath and shrubland in southeastern Australia. Pale brown above, whitish below, with distinct pale supercilium, red-brown rump, small white patch at the base of primaries, fine dark chest streaking, and long, cocked tail. Forages quietly on the ground or in thick vegetation, where difficult to see. Compare Shy Heathwren, which has a white wing spot, more black in wing, and darker legs.
White-bellied Minivet
Pericrocotus erythropygius
A beautiful minivet inhabiting open, dry scrub and savanna with scattered acacia (Prosopis) growth. The male has a glossy black upper body, face, and neck. The breast region has a round orange patch, with the rest of the underparts white. The tail is black, with an orange rump and white markings on the wings. The plumage of the male of this bird is reminiscent of breeding male stonechats. The female is duller in appearance, with dark gray upperparts, black wings, a black tail, and dark black lores. The wings have white markings similar to the males’, and the rump is orange. The species usually moves in small groups, feeding mainly on insects.
St. Lucia Amazon
Amazona versicolor
A stout inhabitant of wet montane forests; sometimes ventures into orchards. This species often appears green with a bluish head, though a variable amount of red is present on the chest and belly. In overflight, a small red patch on each wing can be seen above and below. No other parrots occur within its range, and no parrot commonly kept in captivity resembles this species. Calls include a somewhat sharp “ka-chuck” and plaintive “ay-uh.”
开始您的观鸟之旅
在户外识别鸟类，并在下一次观察时随手查阅鸟类图鉴。