Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) lives in open grasslands across Australia and New Zealand. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Hear the Welcome Swallow
A real field recording of the Welcome Swallow, made in the wild.
The welcome swallow arrived in New Zealand on its own in the mid-1900s, establishing populations without human aid. It is a self-introduced species from Australia that is believed to have flown over to New Zealand in the early 1900s, and it now breeds throughout most parts of the country, though it remains very rare in Fiordland. Its spread across the islands shows a natural colonisation rather than a human-mediated introduction.
Its scientific and common names celebrate the bird as a spring herald, because people greet its return each year in southern Australia. Both its species name and common name refer to people welcoming its return as a herald of spring in southern parts of Australia, and the bird was first described in 1842 by John Gould, who gave it the name Hirundo neoxena. The naming therefore directly reflects its role as a seasonal signal.
Nests built high on walls or cliffs produce more fledglings, likely because ground-dwelling mammals cannot reach them. One particular study showed that the nests that were the highest tended to have a higher fledgling success rate possibly due to the inability of mammals to access the nests, and nest size ranges from 5 cm to 13.5 cm. This height advantage therefore boosts breeding success for the species.
The welcome swallow breeds from August through March and often raises two clutches in one season, but in exceptional cases it can produce a third set of offspring. Nests are built in eight to twenty-three days and are frequently reused year after year, allowing the pair to start a new brood quickly. Because individuals may live up to six years, a long-lived bird can achieve the recorded maximum of three broods in a single breeding period.
These swallows are highly agile fliers that hunt insects on the wing, swooping low over open fields in swift circles. While airborne they frequently dip their bills into the surface of lakes or ponds, scooping water to stay hydrated. This regular drinking not only satisfies their need for water but also lets them snatch insects that gather on the water's skin.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
As the sun rises over the rolling hills, a fleck of iridescent blue darts across the landscape, the Welcome Swallow's slender form slicing through the air with effortless ease. With a fluid, aerodynamic motion, it pursues the day's sustenance, its forked tail streaming behind like a banner as it chases down unsuspecting insects with precision and stealth. In its agile, aerial dance, this diminutive bird embodies the very essence of freedom and joy, its presence a harbinger of warmth and vitality in the natural world.
Advertisement
Hear the Welcome Swallow, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
