From Opus

Photo by Reini
Cano Negro, Costa Rica, February 2005

Tachycineta albilinea

[edit] Identification

13 cm
Bill: small and black
Male

• Iridescent blue-green upperparts
• White underparts and rump
• Black tail and flight feathers
• Thin white stripe from bill to above eye
  

Female: duller
Juvenile

• Dull greyish-brown upperparts
• Greyish-brown (washed white) underparts

[edit] Distribution

Mexico through Central America to Panama.

Accidental vagrant to Florida (1 recent record).

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Tumbes Swallow was considered a subspecies of Mangrove Swallow, but the closest relative of Mangrove Swallow is actually White-winged Swallow.

[edit] Habitat

Still open water.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

It builds a bulky cup nest in cavities near water. 3-5 white eggs are laid and incubated for 17 days. The nestlings are fed by both parents for 23-27 days to fledging.

[edit] Diet

Diet includes insects, including large species such as dragonflies and bees.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: a rolled jeerrrt.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. SACC baseline read September 2009
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links