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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. IV
Field-journal plate: Tree Swallow
The Tree Swallow plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate IV

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Hirundinidae · Taxon 11935

Length12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in)
Wingspan30–35 cm (11.8–13.8 in)
Weight16–25 g (0.6–0.9 oz)

Field marks

  1. Iridescent blue-green head and upperparts in adults
  2. Clean white throat, breast, and belly
  3. Thin dark mask through the eye
  4. Very short, flat black bill
  5. Long, pointed wings with blackish flight feathers
  6. Short tail, squared to slightly notched

HabitatOpen country near water, including fields, marshes, shorelines, ponds, and wooded swamps; requires cavities or nest boxes for nesting.

BehaviorAn agile aerial insectivore, catching small flying insects on the wing. Often forages in flocks; outside the breeding season it may gather in large communal roosts. Nests in cavities or nest boxes.

Palette

iridescent blue-greenwhiteblackish charcoalsoft graybrownish gray