REGULAR FEATURES
Welcome Swallow – Hirundo Neoxena By Marj Webber
O
ne of the most common birds on Bribie Island is the Welcome Swallow. They are to be seen on and around bridges and almost always near waterways. Welcome Swallows are small long-winged passerines that are mostly observed when in flight chasing insects or resting near water. They are 14-15 cm long and weigh only 13-17 g. They have long bodies with rust-red throats, grey underparts, black backs and white spots on their tails. I sometimes have difficulty telling the difference between Welcome Swallows and Tree and Fairy Martins when they are in flight. The flight is swift and aerobatic and it is not until I catch a glimpse of their black rumps and their deeply forked swallow tails that I can tell the difference. Martins have white rumps and square tails. Male and female birds are similar with the female having slightly shorter tail feathers. Some swallows have been known to live up to 6 years. Of the four species of swallows in Australia Welcome Swallows are the most widespread. They
are found almost anywhere there is water except for very arid areas, thick rainforests and high, cold mountain areas. In the 1950’s they self-introduced into New Zealand and are also found on some Pacific islands such as PNG and New Caledonia. Overhead wires are favourite resting places, and they are also often seen perched on bridge railings, other manmade structures and dead trees near water. They are mostly sedentary but will move to other locations if the weather becomes too cold or their food source becomes scarce. Food is obtained almost entirely on the wing. Insects are their main source of food and are guided into their mouths by sets of bristles which line the bills. Their acrobatic manoeuvres while foraging in flight are entertaining to watch. Much of their day is spent in the pursuit of food in this way as they need to consume their own body weight every day eating up to 400 times a day or every few minutes. They need to drink a lot of water and frequently. This is also done while flying.
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The Bribie Islander
They swoop down to the water, take a mouthful in a flash then fly off again. This is repeated throughout the day. Much time is spent flying with most things done on the wing. They need to take a rest about every half hour. From August to February is their preferred time for nesting. This takes place mainly on manmade structures. Nests can be built singularly or in colonies. A lot of hard work is involved in building the semi-circular mud nests. Both monogamous parents scoop up small amounts of mud into their mouths to carry to the sites and slowly the nest takes shape by the addition of thousands of tiny pellets of mud. Nests are lined with soft materials and feathers. If there are no available structures in the area they will build on cliff faces or anywhere else they can find a suitable almost vertical spot. Nests usually take 8-23 days to build and are quite often reused. Clutches are usually 4-7 eggs which are cream with brownish splotches. These are laid in 24-48 hour intervals. Females alone incubate the eggs for 1416 days and both parents and
sometimes other swallows tend to the nursery duties and the protection of nests. Babies leave the nests after a further 2-3 weeks and after 35 days become completely self-sufficient. They can begin breeding in 8-14 months. There are often two clutches in a season. Welcome Swallows were first described by John Gould in his book “Birds of Australia” which was published in 7 volumes between 1840 and 1848. There are two theories on how the word “welcome” was used as part of the name. One is from Victoria when people welcomed the swallows back in spring after wintering in the warmer North and the other is a sea story where early mariners welcomed the sight of swallows as a sign of approaching land. Raptors, reptiles and feral cats are their main predators targeting nests with eggs or young birds. Conservation status is of least concern. They have adapted well to human habitation and have learned to use our structures to their advantage hence their population is increasing.
