From Opus

Photo by HelenB
Photographed near Houston, Texas, USA

Progne subis

[edit] Identification

7-8 1/2" (18-22 cm). The adult make is a dark steel-blue. Females and Juveniles are duller, with grey underparts. Similar in shape to the European Starling. It takes 2 years for these birds to attain full adult breeding plumage. This can make it difficult to identify the birds.

The call is tchew-wew, or pew pew.

[edit] Distribution

British Columbia, central interior Canada, and Nova Scotia, migrates south to Brazil. Common in the state of São Paulo. Accidental vagrant to the UK and to Argentina.

[edit] Taxonomy

Polytypic. Consists of three subspecies.

[edit] Habitat

Open woodlands, residential areas, and agricultural land.

[edit] Behaviour

These birds catch insects from the air.

Their nest is made of grass and plant material placed in a cavity in a tree and 4-5 white eggs are laid.

[edit] External Links