General

Bahama Swallow: Medium-sized swallow with dark blue-green upperparts and cap extending below eye, steel-blue wings, white underparts, and deeply forked tail. Female is duller and smaller. Juvenile has brown upperparts.

Range and Habitat

Bahama Swallow: Casual to Florida Keys and south Florida mainland; occurs in the northern Bahamas during the summer, but ranges throughout the Bahamas and eastern Cuba at other times. Preferred habitats include islands with pine trees for breeding.

Voice Text

"chep", "chi-chep"

Interesting Facts

 The Bahama Swallow is found in eastern Cuba and throughout the Bahamas, but only breeds in pine forests on four islands in the northern Bahamas; Andros, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and New Providence.

 The near threatened status of this poorly known species stems from the limited extent of pine forest breeding habitat, a history of logging in that habitat, and potential competition from exotic secondary cavity-nesters.

 They are the most restricted geographically and possibly have the smallest population size of any Tachycineta species.

 A group of swallows has many collective nouns, including a "gulp", "herd", "kettle", "richness", and "sord" of swallows.

Author

Gary Owen Dick