Bird Guide

Andean Swallow vs Brown-bellied Swallow

Andean Swallow (Orochelidon andecola)

Andean Swallow

Orochelidon andecola

Small17 gGrassland

The Andean swallow is 13.5 to 14 cm (5.3 to 5.5 in) long and weighs 14 to 19 g (0.49 to 0.67 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a mostly glossy greenish black head with black lores, gray ear coverts, and a gray-brown chin and throat. Their upperparts are mostly glossy greenish black with a brownish rump and uppertail coverts. Their tail is square or somewhat notched. Their breast and flanks are gray-brown and their belly and undertail coverts grayish white. Subspecies O. a. oroyae has a glossy blue-black head and upperparts. Voice: The Andean swallow's song is "a harsh short trill or a harsh, short, dry trrrrt". Its calls are "a dry, rising dzree and a descending, slightly more musical chleep".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: David F. Belmonte · CC BY 4.0
Brown-bellied Swallow (Orochelidon murina)

Brown-bellied Swallow

Orochelidon murina

Tiny12 gGrassland

The brown-bellied swallow is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long and weighs about 12.5 g (0.44 oz). The sexes have similar plumage though females are duller overall than males. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a mostly blackish head and neck with a blue-green gloss and a sooty gray-brown throat. Their upperparts are blackish with a blue-green gloss. Their tail is moderately forked; it and their wings are dark brown. Their underparts are mostly sooty gray-brown with black undertail coverts. Juveniles are duller than adults with a brown throat, gray-white underparts, and a shorter tail. Voice: The brown-bellied swallow's song is "a weak buzzing" and its contact call a "tjrip tjirp-tjrip-tjirp". One description of its flight call is "a rather scratchy tjrrrp". Its call is also described as a "deep, buzzy tchjet" that sometimes is extended to "tchjet-djshhhhEW".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Brown-bellied Swallow
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, feeding calls · Tungurahua: 1 km SE Lag. del Tambo, Cordillera de los Llanganates, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: (c) David F. Belmonte, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by David F. Belmonte · cc-by

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Andean Swallow and Brown-bellied Swallow.