Golden Swallow
Tachycineta euchrysea
The Golden Swallow (Tachycineta euchrysea) is a rare swallow found in 2 countries, weighing about 17 g. The golden swallow is a swallow endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and was once native to Jamaica, but is now extirpated there.
About the Golden Swallow
The golden swallow is a swallow endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and was once native to Jamaica, but is now extirpated there. It is restricted to isolated montane forests that primarily consist of the Hispaniolan pine. This species is considered to be a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The exact cause of its extirpation from Jamaica is unknown, but likely factors include predation by introduced mammals and habitat loss, although the habitat loss theory is not supported by much evidence. The last sighting of the nominate subspecies was in Hardwar Gap, with three birds being seen on 8 June 1989.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
A small swallow, the golden swallow measures, on average, 12 cm (4.7 in). The adult of the nominate subspecies' upperparts, including the sides of the head, the cheek, and the chin, are an iridescent bronze. The ear coverts and lores are duller, and the forehead, crown, and nape are more green. This contrasts with the golden or coppery-bronze colouring of the mantle, shoulders, back, rump, and uppertail-coverts. The lesser and median-coverts are more coppery, with the greater and primary wing-coverts being more green and dusky. The edges of the greater coverts and tertials are more golden.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Golden Swallow?
- A small swallow, the golden swallow measures, on average, 12 cm (4.7 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Golden Swallow?
- The Golden Swallow is a small sized bird weighing about 17 g.
- Where can you see a Golden Swallow?
- The Golden Swallow occurs in 2 countries, including the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
- What birds look similar to a Golden Swallow?
- The Golden Swallow is most easily confused with the Bahama Swallow, the Tumbes Swallow and the White-rumped Swallow.
- Is the Golden Swallow endangered?
- The Golden Swallow is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Golden Swallow for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.