Species: Tachycineta bicolor Order: Passeriformes
Chrissy Bowker of Texas (who, yes, also happens to be my mother) asks, “What’s this animal?”
The bird in the picture above is none other than the Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor. The Tree Swallow is an insectivorous, migratory passerine bird that breeds in North America and spends its winters in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Its most identifiable characteristics are its deep-blue, iridescent backs in stark contrast to their snow white front-sides, pointed wings, and split-notched tail. You’ll see them in fields and wetlands, chasing after insects and fellow swallows in a manner reminiscent of fighter jets in a dog fight.
Listen to a Tree Swallow call here:
https://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/94428/embed
Tree Swallow song:
https://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/94295/embed
