White-winged Swallow

The adult White-winged Swallow is 13.2 cm long and weighs 17 g. It has iridescent blue-green upperparts, white underparts and rump, and white edgings to the secondary flight feathers. The sexes are similar, but juvenile plumage is grey brown above apart from the white rump.

The White-winged Swallow is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

White-winged Swallow at rest in Los LLanos, Venezuela Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Hirundinidae Genus: Tachycineta Species: T. More

green upperparts, the White-winged Swallow also has a white rump and a diagnostic white wing patch. The most frequent vocalization is a repeated, rising, buzzy "zreeed." Similar Species Several species of Tachycineta swallows, including the White-winged Swallow, are blue above with a white rump and white underparts. Two of these species, the Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea) and the Tumbes Swallow (Tachycineta stolzmanni), have geographic distributions that do not overlap with that of the White-winged. More

The White-winged Swallow is a familiar sight over rivers through much of eastern South America, south to southern Brazil and northeastern Argentina. It often is found in pairs or in small groups, of up to a dozen or so individuals, that perch on snags in rivers and lakes. It's flight is low over the water. White-winged Swallows are resident throughout most of its range, but it is a partial austral migrant: in southernmost Brazil, White-winged Swallows are present only during the austral summer. More

White-winged Swallows can often be seen close to water, for example flying over reservoirs, or sitting on a tree-trunk, a few feet above the water-line. I have seen pairs or small groups of Tachycineta albiventer, but never large flocks like those formed by Progne chalybea and others. To top of page White-winged Swallow (Tachycineta albiventer) 03/08/2009; Cear More

The White-winged Swallow is very similar to the Blue and White Swallow. A key difference is the white wing patch evident on the folded wings of the White-winged Swallow but absent in Blue and White Swallow. If viewed from below the white wing patch looks like a thin white line on the bend of the wing. Additionally, the Blue and White Swallow shows a contrast between white breast and belly and dark gray ventral area, whilst White-winged Swallows are concolourous underneath. More