Bird Guide

White-banded Swallow vs White-thighed Swallow

White-banded Swallow (Atticora fasciata)

White-banded Swallow

Atticora fasciata

Tiny13 gRiverine

The white-banded swallow is a medium-sized swallow, measuring, on average, 15 cm (5.9 in) and weighing 12–16 g (0.42–0.56 oz). They usually have a wingspan of 92–108 mm (3.6–4.3 in). They decline in size from north to south, but this is a gradual decline, which suggests that there is no geographical variation. It is black, except for the band on its breast, its thighs, and bars on the edge of its wings, which are all white. It also has blackish-brown underwing coverts. Their feathers have a blue-black luster. This swallow has a deeply forked tail.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the White-banded Swallow
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call, flight call · Zamora-Chinchipe: 5 km N Las Orchideas, Nangaritza Valley, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: (c) Dan Vickers, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dan Vickers · cc-by
White-thighed Swallow (Atticora tibialis)

White-thighed Swallow

Atticora tibialis

Tiny11 gForest

The white-thighed swallow averages about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs 8.5 to 14 g (0.30 to 0.49 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies A. t. tibialis have a brownish black head with a slight green sheen, black lores, and gray-brown cheeks and throat. Their back is brownish black with a slight green sheen and their rump gray-brown. Their tail is slightly forked and brownish black. Their wings are mostly brownish black with slightly lighter tips on the greater coverts and tertials. Voice: The white-thighed swallow's calls include "a thin, high-pitched tsee-tit and a chit-it, chee-dee-dit?. While foraging they make a "constant, soft zeet-zeet call.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the White-thighed Swallow
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Esmeraldas: Canandé, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Richard Bowdler Sharpe · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: White-banded Swallow and White-thighed Swallow.