The tawny-headed swallow is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Alopochelidon. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, where its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.
Region
South America
Typical Environment
Occurs widely in open habitats including dry savannas, pampas grasslands, and seasonally flooded lowland plains. Frequently uses ranchlands, pastures, and wetland edges where flying insects are abundant. It is most often observed at low elevations, gliding low over fields and along watercourses. Breeding is tied to areas with accessible earthen banks or burrows suitable for nesting.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This is the sole member of the genus Alopochelidon, a distinctive South American swallow with a rich tawny head. It forages low over open country and often associates with grazing livestock to catch flushed insects. Nests are built in earthen cavities such as banks and sometimes in abandoned mammal burrows. Seasonal movements occur, with birds shifting northward in the austral winter.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile low-level glides
Social Behavior
Often forms small flocks outside the breeding season and may gather around cattle or over wetlands. Breeds in loose colonies or small groups, placing nests in earthen cavities, banks, or abandoned mammal burrows. Both parents participate in nest building and feeding of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Gives soft twittering and buzzy trills in flight, interspersed with sharp chip notes. Vocalizations are continuous during foraging flocks and become more insistent near nesting sites.
