Australia’s most widespread swallow, the Welcome Swallow can be seen fluttering, swooping and gliding in search of flying insects in almost any habitat, between city buildings, over farmland paddocks, in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, and in every habitat in between. Sometimes they even occur at sea — the name ‘Welcome’ swallow comes from sailors who knew that the sight of a swallow meant that land was not far away. Swallows build their mud nests in many different situations, though most noticeably beneath bridges and on the walls of buildings.
The Welcome Swallow is metallic blue-black above, light grey below on the breast and belly, and rust red on the forehead, throat and upper breast. It has a long forked tail, with a row of white spots on the individual feathers. The outer tail feathers (streamers) are slightly shorter in the female. Young Welcome Swallows are buffy white, instead of rusty, on the forehead and throat, and have shorter tail streamers.
Welcome Swallows are widespread in Australia but are less common in the far north than in the south.
Habitat: Woodland, Wetland, Urban, Grassland, Coastal, Desert
Welcome Swallows visit a wide variety of habitats with the exception of the more heavily forested regions and drier inland areas.
Welcome Swallows have short bristles at the sides of their mouths which help to guide their food (insects) into their mouths while flying at speed. Welcome Swallows are partially migratory, moving around in response to food availability.
Welcome Swallows feed on a wide variety of insects. They catch prey in flight, using their acrobatic flying skills. The prey is guided into the bird’s wide, open mouth with the help of short rictal bristles bordering the bill. These bristles also help protect the bird’s eye. Where insects are in large supply, Welcome Swallows feed in large flocks.
Welcome Swallows readily breed close to human habitation. The nest is an open cup of mud and grass, made by both sexes, and is attached to a suitable structure, such as a vertical rock wall or building. The nest is lined with feathers and fur. The female alone incubates the eggs but the young are fed by both parents. Often two broods are raised in a season.
