Tree Martin
Petrochelidon nigricans
The Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans) is a common swallow found in 7 countries, weighing about 15 g. The tree martin is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds.
About the Tree Martin
The tree martin is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds. It breeds in Australia, mostly south of latitude 20°S, and on Timor island. It is migratory, wintering through most of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia east of the Wallace Line, and the Solomon Islands. It is a vagrant to New Zealand, where it has bred, and New Caledonia. This species is frequently placed in the genus Hirundo as Hirundo nigricans.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The tree martin averages 13 cm (5.1 in) in length and has a shallowly forked tail. The adult has an iridescent blue back and crown, brown wings and tail, a rufous forehead and a whitish rump. The underparts are white. The sexes are similar, but young birds are duller and browner, with a paler forehead and pale fringes to the back and wing feathers. The call of this vocal swallow is a tsweet and the song is a high-pitched twitter. This species can be distinguished from other Australian swallows by its tail shape and pale rump.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Solomon Islands.
When to see it
The Tree Martin can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Tree Martin?
- The tree martin averages 13 cm (5.1 in) in length and has a shallowly forked tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Tree Martin?
- The Tree Martin is a small sized bird weighing about 15 g.
- Where can you see a Tree Martin?
- The Tree Martin occurs in 7 countries, including Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and New Zealand.
- What birds look similar to a Tree Martin?
- The Tree Martin is most easily confused with the Cave Swallow, the Fairy Martin and the South African Cliff Swallow.
- Is the Tree Martin endangered?
- The Tree Martin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Tree Martin for real
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