Pale-footed Swallow
A species of Notiochelidon Scientific name : Orochelidon flavipes Genus : Notiochelidon
Pale-footed Swallow, A species of Notiochelidon
Botanical name: Orochelidon flavipes
Genus: Notiochelidon
Content
Description General Info
Description
This swallow has an average length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in) and an average weight of 10.6 grams (0.37 oz). It has dark, glossy blue upperparts, with the wing, tail, and undertail coverts being more black than the rest. They have a dusky chin and a throat coloured cinnamon-buff. The white chest is tinged cinnamon-buff. The belly is also white. They have blackish-brown underwing coverts, axillars, flanks, and tibial feathers. They have a black bill with pink mouth-lining and a dark brown iris. They have a slightly notched tail. Their lower legs and toes are made of pink flesh. The sexes are similar, and the immature swallows of this species are similar, except their undertail coverts have white or pale edges. These birds are not to be confused with the very similar blue-and-white swallow, which can be differentiated by the pale-footed swallows blackish flanks, and its faster flight. The pale-footed swallow is also slightly smaller than the blue-and-white swallow. The pale-footed swallow has a flight call frequently described as a dzreet. Their call can be differentiated from the call of the similar blue-and-white swallow by the fact that it is drier than that of the blue-and-white swallow. These swallows also have been known to use a call described as a trilled tre-e-e-ed. The song is a series of trills and thin warbles. The song is described as buzzy, but musical.
Size
12 cm
Feeding Habits
Pale-footed Swallow predominantly feeds on airborne insects, employing a foraging strategy that involves swift, erratic flight patterns, often in groups. They feed above and within forests or clearings and may share foraging spaces with other swallow species. Rarely perching, pale-footed Swallow occasionally rests on bare tree limbs.
Habitat
The pale-footed Swallow typically inhabits humid montane and elfin forests, as well as clearings within these woodlands. It is additionally found in areas of pajonal vegetation near the forest treeline. The environmental conditions of its habitat are defined by high humidity and dense vegetation with occasional openings that provide the space necessary for foraging.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
This swallow is native to the Andes in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It usually occurs only on the eastern slopes of the Andes, but it has been recorded on both slopes in the central Andes. They usually don't go below 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) and above 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) in Ecuador, and not below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in Peru and 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) in Bolivia. They do not usually go above 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) in both Peru and Bolivia. In Venezuela, they have much less variation in elevation, usually not going below 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) and above 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) there. They have been seen as low as 1,550 metres (5,090 ft) in Venezuela. Sometimes, in bad weather, they can be seen at lower altitudes. They are recorded to mainly reside in forests, especially humid ones. They are most likely resident to their range.
Species Status
This swallow is classified as least-concern by the IUCN. The justification for this is the fact that the population is stable, there are most likely more than 10,000 adults of this species, and they have a large range. The breeding range is estimated to be 2,730,000 square kilometres (1,050,000 sq mi). The population size is unknown, but it is apparently fairly common. Although this is true, it may be overlooked because of how similar it is to the blue-and-white swallow.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Swallows Genus
Notiochelidon Species
Pale-footed Swallow