Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

Where’s Wildlife · Bird Field Guide

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Pronounced (approx.): tak-ee-sih-NEE-tuh BY-kul-er

Adults show blue-green upperparts and clean pale underparts. Explore the photographs, learn its field marks, and discover where to look.

Tree Swallow · Field photograph 1View all 4 photographs ↗
Select the main image to browse the full gallery.

How to recognize it

Three identification clues

01 · FIELD MARK

Glossy above, white below

Adults show blue-green upperparts and clean pale underparts. [1]

02 · FIELD MARK

Short tail

The tail is squared or slightly notched, rather than deeply forked. [1]

03 · FIELD MARK

Brown young

Juveniles are brown above; some show a faint breast band. [1]

Field tip: Note the bird’s shape and behavior first, then check its markings. Age, season, and lighting can change its appearance.

Where and when to look

Finding Tree Swallow

Watch over ponds and fields for acrobatic insect-catching flights. Perched birds offer easier views of the face and tail. [1] [2]

Use the range map above for seasonal context and the sightings link below to explore local records.

Listen for it

Learn the songs and calls

Compare Cornell’s recordings with what you hear outdoors. Listen for the rhythm and quality of each sound, then try to locate the bird visually.

Listen to songs and calls at Cornell ↗

Compare the details

Common look-alikes

Compare shape, bill, and plumage together using Cornell’s similar-species photographs. Check age and seasonal differences before settling on an identification.

See similar species and comparison photographs ↗

Look closer

Field Photographs

Photographs © Where’s Wildlife. Select any image to explore all 4 photographs.

Tree Swallow · Field photograph 1
Tree Swallow · Field photograph 1
Tree Swallow · Field photograph 2
Tree Swallow · Field photograph 2
Tree Swallow · Field photograph 3
Tree Swallow · Field photograph 3
Tree Swallow · Field photograph 4
Tree Swallow · Field photograph 4

Life history

How this bird lives

Habitat and nesting

Tree Swallows use existing tree holes and nest boxes. After breeding, large flocks gather before migration. [2]

Food and foraging

Mostly flying insects. [2]

Watch where the bird searches for food and how it moves. Feeding behavior can be a useful clue alongside plumage.

Did you know?

A closer look at Tree Swallow

Aerial feeding

Most prey is caught during flight. [2] [1]

Cavity users

They rely on available holes rather than excavating their own. [2] [1]

Communal roosts

Large groups can gather outside the breeding season. [2] [1]

Range & Sightings

See where people are finding this bird

Explore community observations, photographs, and locations on iNaturalist. Zoom to your area and use date filters to investigate seasonal sightings.

View iNaturalist Sightings ↗

Reported sightings are not a complete range map. An area without records does not necessarily mean the species is absent.

Keep Learning

Bring the clues together

Choose a photograph above and describe three things you notice before looking at the identification cards. On your next walk, compare those clues with the bird’s habitat and behavior.

Sources & Further Reading

Numbered references support the identification details and natural-history information above. Cornell links open All About Birds, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

[1] Cornell · Identification ↗[2] Cornell · Life history ↗[3] Cornell · Natural history ↗[4] Cornell · Songs and calls ↗[5] Cornell · Similar species ↗[6] Cornell · Range map ↗iNaturalist · Community observations ↗

Previous and next birds follow common-name alphabetical order.