Bahama Swallow

Overview
Bahama Swallow: Medium-sized swallow with dark blue-green upperparts and cap extending below eye, and steel-blue wings, white chin, throat and underparts, and deeply forked tail. The bill, legs and feet are black. Swift, graceful flight, alternating rapid wing beats with long glides.

Range and Habitat
Bahama Swallow: Casual to Florida Keys and south Florida mainland; occurs in the northern Bahamas during the summer, but ranges throughout the Bahamas and eastern Cuba at other times. Preferred habitats include islands with pine trees for breeding.

The Bahama Swallow is currently rated as Vulnerable, due to decreasing population trends that have occurred over the last several years. This bird is native to the Bahamas, but sightings of the Bahama Swallow have been noticed in Cuba and southern Florida during the winter. The Bahama Swallow tends to nest near human inhabitations. This bird breeds from April through July. The most serious threat to the population of the Bahama Swallow is thought to be logging in the Bahamas, while planned housing may be a secondary concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Bahama Swallow is found in eastern Cuba and throughout the Bahamas, but only breeds in pine forests on four islands in the northern Bahamas; Andros, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and New Providence. The near threatened status of this poorly known species stems from the limited extent of pine forest breeding habitat, a history of logging in that habitat, and potential competition from exotic secondary cavity-nesters. They are the most restricted geographically and possibly have the smallest population size of any Tachycineta species. A group of swallows has many collective nouns, including a "gulp", "herd", "kettle", "richness", and "sord" of swallows.