Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Classification

Conservation Status

  • Tree swallows are aerial insectivores, acrobatic fliers that catch and eat insects on the wing. 
  • The species nests in the cavities of trees made by woodpeckers, in constructed nest boxes, in holes in buildings, or even in holes in the ground. 
  • Tree swallows appear to play a game with feathers. Birds will fly high into the sky and drop a feather, while others attempt to catch that feather mid-flight. 
  • Look for tree swallows from February through November. They can be seen flying over fields or marshes near freshwater and perched on fences and wires