Tahiti swallow

The Tahiti swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is found on the islands of Moorea and Tahiti in French Polynesia. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Pacific swallow.

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Distribution

Region

Society Islands

Typical Environment

Occurs on Tahiti and Moorea, frequenting open country, village edges, coastal areas, and river valleys. It often hunts over water bodies, agricultural clearings, and roads where insects concentrate. Nests are commonly built on cliffs, in caves, and on human-made structures such as eaves and bridges. It tolerates disturbed landscapes and thrives in proximity to people.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1400 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size12–13 cm

Wing Span28–32 cm

Male Weight0.014 kg

Female Weight0.013 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

This island swallow is confined to Tahiti and Moorea in the Society Islands and was long lumped with the Pacific swallow before being recognized as distinct. It readily uses human structures such as buildings and bridges for nesting. Agile and fast in flight, it helps control flying insects around villages and coastal areas.

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats with brief glides

Social Behavior

Often seen in small groups, especially outside the breeding season, sometimes foraging alongside other aerial insectivores. Pairs are typically monogamous and defend a small area around the nest. Nests are open mud cups lined with fine plant fibers, attached to rock faces or human structures.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Calls are a series of sharp twittering chips and sweet, buzzy trills during flight. Near the nest it gives softer, rapid chatter and contact notes.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Taiga bean goose

The taiga bean goose is a species of goose that breeds in northern Europe and Asia. It is migratory and winters further south in Europe and Asia. This and the tundra bean goose were recognised as separate species by the International Ornithologists' Union and the American Ornithological Society from 2007, but are still considered a single species by some other authorities, notably BirdLife International and the IUCN. The taiga and tundra bean goose diverged about 2.5 million years ago and established secondary contact c. 60,000 years ago, resulting in extensive gene flow.

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The taiga flycatcher or red-throated flycatcher is a migratory bird in the family Muscicapidae. The species was first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. The female has brown upper parts with a blackish tail flanked by white. The breast is buffish with underparts mostly white. The male has ear coverts and sides of the neck blue-tinged grey with breeding males having orange-red coloration on the throats. Unlike the taiga flycatcher, the female of the similar red-breasted flycatcher has a brown tail while the red colour in breeding males extends to the breast in the red-breasted flycatcher. It breeds in northern Eurasia from eastern Russia to Siberia and Mongolia. It is a winter visitor to South and South-east Asia in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Japan. Its natural habitat is taiga forest. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.