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Tree Swallow male, Madison, Wisconsin, 2010. John Benson. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Tree Swallow juvenile, 2010. Alan Vernon. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

tree swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Identification: 
This small, roughly sparrow sized bird has a dark top and bright white breast and belly.  Males have iridescent blue-green on top while females are duller. They have short, squared-off tails and pointed wings.  The bill is rather small and flat.

Behavior:
Tree swallows are great aerobats; they catch most of their insect prey on the wing.  They are cavity nesters and will accept nesting boxes.  They often are found near water and skim low above the water to catch insects.  

What brings it to the SBG?
Food, cover, perhaps nesting sites.  The SBG habitat with its open grassy area may attract the tree swallow.  It customarily nests in tree cavities, hence its name. In Summer 2014 a pair of Tree Swallows nested in one of the SBG bluebird boxes and could be seen swooping around the garden daily. 


When can I see it?
Spring, summer, and fall; in winter the tree swallow migrates to Central America and the southern US.