Birds Active during the day

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

A shimmering jewel of the sky, the Tree Swallow is a welcome guest in any backyard, known for its iridescent blue plumage and spectacular aerial maneuvers.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in), wingspan 30–35 cm (11.8–13.8 in), weight 16–25 g (0.6–0.9 oz)

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Colors

Iridescent blue-green upperparts (males), pure white throat and underparts, blackish-brown wings and tail; females are slightly duller with first-year females appearing mostly brown

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Key Features

Glossy blue-green iridescent back
Clean white underparts from chin to vent
Shallowly forked tail and broad, triangular wings
Small black bill and dark brown eyes

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 7-11 AM and 4-7 PM

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Season March-August

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Diet Primarily insectivorous, catching flies, beetles, and dragonflies in mid-air; uniquely, they also eat bayberries and other fruit during cold snaps when insects are scarce.

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Habitat Open areas near water, including marshes, lakeshores, meadows, and suburban backyards with nest boxes.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Tree Swallow Live?

Native to the vast landscapes of North America, the Tree Swallow is a true long-distance traveler that spends its summers breeding across the United States and Canada. As the seasons shift, these birds undertake an impressive migration to warmer climates, settling along the southern US coasts, Mexico, and deep into Central America as far as Panama. They are also common winter residents in the West Indies, often found gathering in massive, swirling flocks near coastal wetlands and marshes.

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7 Countries

11.2M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

US United States CA Canada MX Mexico PA Panama Cuba Bahamas CR Costa Rica

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

Tree Swallows are masterful aerial acrobats, spending the vast majority of their daylight hours on the wing. They are famous for their social nature, often nesting in loose colonies and gathering in massive, swirling clouds numbering in the hundreds of thousands during migration. These displays, known as roosting swarms, are one of nature's great spectacles, often occurring over reed beds at sunset.

In the backyard, they are vocal and territorial during the nesting season but generally tolerant of human presence. They are highly attracted to open spaces near water where they can forage for insects mid-air. Unlike many other swallows, they are cavity nesters, which makes them one of the most successful species to occupy man-made birdhouses.

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Camera Tips

To capture the best footage of Tree Swallows, your best bet is to mount an AI-powered camera specifically focused on a nest box entrance. Position the camera roughly 1 to 2 feet away from the hole, angled slightly from the side to capture both the bird's iridescent blue back and its white belly as it enters and exits. Because Tree Swallows are incredibly fast, ensure your camera is set to its highest frame rate (at least 30-60 FPS) to avoid motion blur during their rapid fly-bys.

Timing is everything with these birds. They are most active during the early morning hours when insects begin to hatch over nearby water. If you are using a trail camera in an open field, look for a 'perching post'—a lone branch or a fence wire near a water source. Swallows often return to the same spot to rest between foraging bouts. Setting your camera's PIR sensor to high sensitivity is recommended, as their small body size and high speed can sometimes fail to trigger sluggish sensors.

Consider the lighting carefully; to truly capture the metallic sheen of their feathers, aim for a spot that gets direct morning or late afternoon sun. In the winter, if you live in a coastal southern region, you can find them near bayberry bushes. Placing a camera near these food sources during a cold snap can provide rare footage of their berry-eating behavior, which is unique among North American swallows.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Tree Swallow.

Violet-green Swallow

Look for white patches that wrap further around the eye and onto the sides of the rump, which the Tree Swallow lacks.

Barn Swallow

Easily distinguished by its deeply forked 'streamer' tail and rufous-orange belly compared to the Tree Swallow's pure white underside.

Purple Martin

Much larger than a Tree Swallow; males are entirely dark purple/black without the stark white underparts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tree Swallows are diurnal and most active during the morning and late afternoon when flying insects are most abundant. You will see them swooping low over fields and water during these 'golden hours'.

The most effective way is to provide a nest box in an open area, preferably near a pond or lake. They prefer boxes with a 1.5-inch entrance hole and are known to readily accept 'bluebird houses' if placed in the right habitat.

Their diet consists almost entirely of insects caught in flight, including midges, dragonflies, and beetles. During winter or cold weather, they are one of the few swallows that can survive on berries, particularly bayberries and wax myrtle fruits.

Yes, they are very common in suburbs that offer open grassy spaces and proximity to water. They are less common in densely wooded or highly urbanized areas with no open flyways.

Tree Swallows have a clean white belly and a shallowly forked tail, whereas Barn Swallows have a distinctive deeply forked 'swallow tail' and cinnamon-colored or orange-tinted underparts.

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