Tree Swallow

Hey guys, welcome back! Today is my favorite swallow species (well, of the species I’ve seen. The Violet-green Swallow is pretty cool looking but as of this writing I’ve not seen one in person) the Tree Swallow! Allaboutbirds.org describes them as “Handsome aerialists with deep-blue iridescent backs and clean white fronts” and I can’t think of a more fitting way to put it. These guys are easy to ID because of their clean, bright white bellies.

Similar in habits and habitat to the swallow from the last post, the Tree Swallow always showed up in Central Park in late March or early April. I’ve only seen a few here in St Louis, at least thus far. Something about the bright iridescent blue with the white belly just makes these guys look so sleek.

I would see these guys on Randall’s Island, using the nesting boxes there, but never while I had a camera with me. Figures, right? Fortunately, I have been around them while armed with my camera in St. Louis! Score! Tree Swallows winter further north than most other swallows, and because of this will eat berries and plant foods more than other swallows, as insects are scarcer during cold snaps in winter and early spring. Shorter post this time, as we just did a swallow last time, and their habits are so similar, there’s a lot of overlap. Join me next time when we will visit the swamp for a sparrow species named for its home; the Swamp Sparrow. Until then!