White-rumped Swallow

Overview

The white-rumped swallow, Tachycineta leucorrhoa, is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae native to South America. It is a monotypic species that was previously considered a subspecies of the Chilean swallow but is now recognized as a distinct entity. The population is currently increasing and classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Measures 13 centimetres in length with a wingspan of approximately 115.7 millimetres.
• Features glossy blue upperparts, white underparts, and a white rump, distinguished from the Chilean swallow by a white supraloral streak above the lores.
• Black lores, ear coverts, wings, and tail, with white tips on the inner secondaries, tertials, and greater coverts of the wings.
• Song described as a soft gurgling or broken warble sung while flying at dawn, with a quick, toneless 'zzt' call.

Habitat

Found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, inhabiting open and semi-open country near water, forest edges, dry savannas, and human settlements. Altitudes range from sea level to 1,100 metres. During the austral winter, southern populations typically move northward within the range.

Diet

An aerial insectivore that feeds on flies, beetles, flying ants, Orthoptera, and Lepidoptera. It usually forages alone or in small groups close over water, pastures, and open woodland. Its flight is fast and direct, and it occasionally skims the ground while following humans or animals that disturb insects.

Did you know?

Extra-pair young account for approximately 56 percent of all offspring, indicating a high rate of infidelity within breeding pairs. After a nest failure, the average distance an individual travels during nest prospecting visits increases dramatically from 121 metres to 5.1 kilometres.