Golden Swallow
A species of Typical American Swallows Scientific name : Tachycineta euchrysea Genus : Typical American Swallows
Golden Swallow, A species of Typical American Swallows
Botanical name: Tachycineta euchrysea
Genus: Typical American Swallows
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Dubi Shapiro 
Description
A small swallow, the golden swallow measures, on average, 12 cm (4.7 in). The adult of the nominate subspecies' upperparts, including the sides of the head, the cheek, and the chin, are an iridescent bronze. The ear coverts and lores are duller, and the forehead, crown, and nape are more green. This contrasts with the golden or coppery-bronze colouring of the mantle, shoulders, back, rump, and uppertail-coverts. The lesser and median-coverts are more coppery, with the greater and primary wing-coverts being more green and dusky. The edges of the greater coverts and tertials are more golden. The primaries, secondaries, tail, axillaries, and underwing-coverts are dusky bronze-green, with the axillaries and underwing-coverts having this colour only on the edges. The tail is only slightly forked on the nominate subspecies, unlike the more deeply forked tail of the other subspecies, sclateri. Its underparts are white, with dusky bronze streaks on the flanks. The legs and the feet are dark brown and the bill is black. Its irides are also dark brown. The female is similar, although some of the underparts, specifically the breast and occasionally the throat and undertail-coverts, are mottled grey-brown. The mottling around the breast and collar is likely to decrease over time. The juvenile, like the female, is mottled grey-brown. The juvenile also has less glossy plumage and the sides of its head are a dusky grey. The other subspecies, sclateri, has slightly longer wings and a smaller bill. The plumage is less golden, with the forehead and uppertail-coverts being blue-green, and with both the wings and tail being blue-black. The underparts of T. e. sclateri also vary in being pure white without streaks. This bird has a soft, two-note call, often described as a tchee-weet, that is repeated. 
Size
12 cm
Nest Placement
Cavity
Feeding Habits
Golden Swallow primarily feast on flying insects, showcasing remarkable aerial agility. They capture prey during flight, usually at dawn or dusk, evidencing a specific adaptation for swift and precise hunting.
Habitat
Golden Swallow is typically found in montane humid forests and pine forests at elevations of up to 2000 meters. They also inhabit areas of secondary growth and may forage in more open landscapes, including cultivated land. While preferring mountainous regions, golden Swallow is adaptable and can be seen hunting for insects over a variety of terrains.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Distribution Area
The golden swallow is native to the island of Hispaniola, and formerly Jamaica. The subspecies that resided in Jamaica, Tachycineta euchrysea euchrysea, is extinct. It was found up to elevations of 2,000 m (6,600 ft), from sea level on Jamaica, and currently found from 800 m (2,600 ft) on Hispaniola. It is likely that this species, when not breeding, moves down to lower altitudes. The estimated extent of occurrence for this swallow is 8,100 km (3,100 sq mi). Primarily inhabiting hills of the interior of islands, this swallow prefers open country, but will occasionally be seen in forests and over towns. It is restricted to patches of montane forest that consists primarily of Hispaniolan pine. Never common in Jamaica, it was restricted to mountainous limestone country in the island's interior.
Species Status
The golden swallow is considered to be a vulnerable species by the IUCN. This status is on account of the small, fragmented, and decreasing population and range. The nominate subspecies is extinct; predation appears to be a factor. The remaining T. e. sclateri population is declining, mostly due to shifting agriculture and predation by introduced mammalian species. The population is estimated to be anywhere from 1,500 to 7,000 mature birds, in an area estimated to be 8,100 km (3,100 sq mi). This swallow is legally protected in Jamaica, although it is extinct there. Not known to the early settlers on the island, it was considered to be common in the 1800s, but it declined and eventually became rare in the 1890s. In the last half of the 1900s, it was restricted to the area of Cockpit Country east to the Blue Mountains. The last specimens collected were a pair from Portland Parish on 9 August 1908; the last confirmed sighting was in the Blue Mountains in 1950. It was regarded as rare from the 1960s to the 1980s, although its precarious status was not realised at the time. In 1987, the last major roosting site of this subspecies was destroyed. Birdwatchers in the Gosse Bird Club reported two probable sightings of several birds on Barbecue Bottom Road in Trelawny Parish in August and September 1982, while the last (and unconfirmed) report is of three birds at Hardwar Gap (located on the boundary between Saint Andrew and Portland parishes) on 8 June 1989. Curator of Birds Gary R. Graves of the Smithsonian Institution spent 18 years scouring the island for evidence of the subspecies without success. He is doubtful of its survival, as it is diurnal, and Jamaica is a popular destination for birdwatchers. The exact cause of the extinction is unknown, but predation by introduced mammals, especially the black rat and the Indian mongoose, is thought to be a factor. Graves points out that there is little evidence habitat loss has played a role. Graves also added that the swallows adapted to nesting in man-made structures. In general, this swallow is not affected by being near human disturbance. It is proposed that nest boxes be used to counter habitat loss and predation in Hispaniola.
Photo By Dubi Shapiro 
Scientific Classification
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