Welcome Swallow  

Description

The Welcome Swallow is metallic blue-black above, light grey below on the breast and belly, and rust on the forehead, throat and upper breast. It has a long forked tail, with a row of white spots on the individual feathers. Birds are about 15 cm long, including the outer tail feathers (streamers), which are slightly shorter in the female. The call is a mixture of twittering and soft warbling notes, and a sharp whistle in alarm. Young Welcome Swallows are buffy white, instead of rusty, on the forehead and throat, and have shorter tail streamers.

The Barn Swallow, H. rustica, is an uncommon visitor to parts of northern Australia. It can be distinguished from the Welcome Swallow by its black breast band and white underparts. Other swallow species include the White-backed Swallow, Cheramoeca leucosternnus, which has a white back and grey white head, and the Red-rumped Swallow, H. daurica, which is a rare visitor to Australia's north and has a red rump and streaked, chestnut underparts.

Swallows are often confused with the martins, of which there are two species in Australia: the Fairy Martin, H. ariel, and the Tree Martin, H. nigricans. Both species have shorter, more square tails, and white to buff rumps.

Swifts, of the family Apodidae, are somewhat similar in habits and appearance to the swallows, but have longer and more curved wings and differences in their flight. Swifts are rarely seen landing, while swallows are a common sight on wires, posts and other suitable perches.

Distribution and Habitat

Welcome Swallows are widespread in Australia, but are less common in the far north than in the south. They visit a wide variety of habitats with the exception of the more heavily forested regions and drier inland areas. Birds are partially migratory, moving around in response to food availability.

Food and Feeding

Swallows feed on a wide variety on insects. They catch prey in flight, using their acrobatic flying skills. The prey is guided into the bird's wide, open mouth with the help of short rictal bristles bordering the bill. These bristles also help protect the bird's eye. Where insects are in large supply, Welcome Swallows feed in large flocks.

Source: www.amonline.net.au