Listen to the tree swallow
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the tree swallow
The tree swallow is a bird in the family Hirundinidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 30 cm.
What does the tree swallow sound like?
Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
The recordings here are labelled as call and song. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) is a migratory bird of the family Hirundinidae. Found in the Americas, the tree swallow was first described in 1807 by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot as Hirundo bicolor. It has since been moved to its current genus, Tachycineta, within which its phylogenetic placement is debated. The tree swallow has glossy blue-green upperparts, with the exception of the blackish wings and tail, and white underparts. The bill is black, the eyes dark brown, and the legs and feet pale brown. The female is generally duller than the male, and the first-year female has mostly brown upperparts, with some blue feathers. Juveniles have brown upperparts, and gray-brown-washed breasts. The tree swallow breeds in the US and Canada. It winters along southern US coasts south, along the Gulf Coast, to Panama and the northwestern coast of South America, and in the West Indies.
Related birds in the genus Tachycineta
More from the family Hirundinidae
Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
Sand martin
Riparia riparia
Western house martin
Delichon urbicum
Eurasian crag martin
Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Eastern red-rumped swallow
Cecropis daurica
Wire-tailed swallow
Hirundo smithii
Cliff swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Purple martin
Progne subis
Lesser striped swallow
Cecropis abyssinica
Blue-and-white swallow
Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
Frequently asked questions
What does a tree swallow sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the tree swallow on this page, including its call and song. Bird vocalisations are usually divided into songs – longer, often complex phrases used to defend territory and attract mates, sung mostly by males in the breeding season – and calls: short, simple sounds for contact, alarm, begging or flight.
Is the tree swallow endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the tree swallow as “least concern”.
What family does the tree swallow belong to?
The tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) belongs to the family Hirundinidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Call · Afton State Park, Washington County, Minnesota, United… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Minnesota Valley NWR, Bass Ponds, Hennepin, Minnesota… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q922192 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Tree swallow – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Rhododendrites – CC BY-SA 4.0