Welcome Swallow – Birds of Australia

welcome swallow

The Welcome swallow is the most widespread swallow in Australia. They are so named because they can even be found at sea, and their name, welcome swallow, was given by sailors who knew that seeing the bird meant the sight of land was not far away. In Australia, they are a self-introduced species that is believed to have flown over from New Zealand in the early 1900s.

welcome swallow, daintree river
Appearance

The Welcome swallow is a small bird that only weighs 10 grams when fully grown. Their plumage is metallic blue-black on the upper back, light grey on the breast and belly, and russet on the forehead, throat and upper breast. Their long forked tail has a row of white spots on the individual feathers. The outer tail feathers (streamers) are slightly shorter in the female. Young Welcome Swallows have buffy white, instead of rust, on the forehead and throat and shorter tail streamers.

welcome swallows, phillip island vic.
Habitat

While welcome swallows are widespread across Australia, they are more common in the south than in the north. They can be found across various habitats, from city buildings, farmland paddocks, wetlands, deserts, forests and grasslands. However, they are not commonly found in heavily forested or dry inland areas. At night they gather in flocks of up to 100 birds.

Diet

The diet of the Welcome Swallows consists of a wide variety of insects. They catch prey in flight, using their impressive acrobatic flying skills. The short bristles bordering their beak guide their prey into the swallow’s wide, open mouth. These bristles also help protect their eye. When insects are plentiful, Welcome Swallows feed in large flocks.

phillip island, vic. welcome swallows
Breeding

Welcome swallows are monogamous, and the breeding season lasts from August until March. Their nest is an open cup of mud and grass built by both sexes. When complete, the female lays three to five eggs, often raising two broods in a season. The nesting sites cover various areas, from cities to rural regions attaching the nest to vertical walls, buildings, boats, tree hollows, caves,  cliffs and mine tunnels. Their cup-shaped nests are situated to avoid sunlight. Building the nest takes an average of 8–23 days and is often re-used for consecutive years of breeding.

nest of welcome swallow
Fledglings in a nest against a bird hide door. Phillip Island

When breeding, they usually work in pairs. However, they often form small groups to protect their nest and territory against predatory birds. Eggs are sized from 18 mm long and  13mm wide,  pink in colour with brown speckles. Male welcome swallows do not participate in incubating the eggs, as they forage while the female incubates. However, while the female forages, they take turns watching the nest for a short period or accompanying the female in foraging. Both parents feed the fledglings when the eggs hatch after 14 and 21 days. The fledglings remain in the nest for 18 to 23 days and are entirely independent at around 35 days.

Predators

Hawks, snakes, and feral cats are the main predators that hunt welcome swallows, with snakes their most dangerous predator. Snakes climb the trees to reach the nests and eat the eggs or the chicks. Another threat is the swallows’ excreta which contains various bacteria and parasites. These breed in the nest and cause severe diseases such as histoplasmosis, encephalitis, salmonella, meningitis and toxoplasmosis. 

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