Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-and-white Swallow
Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 9.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Hirundinidae Swallows, Martins
- Genus Pygochelidon
- Species cyanoleuca
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-and-white Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Blue-and-white Swallow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca) is a member of the Hirundinidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica, Panama, widespread in SA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.7 g, with a wing length of about 9.2 cm and a tail of around 4.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 10.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-and-white Swallow?
The Blue-and-white Swallow is a very small bird that weighs around 9.7 g.
Where does the Blue-and-white Swallow live?
The Blue-and-white Swallow is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica, Panama, widespread in SA, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Blue-and-white Swallow belong to?
The Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue-and-white Swallow eat?
The Blue-and-white Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-and-white Swallow migrate?
The Blue-and-white Swallow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Blue-and-white Swallow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Blue-and-white Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-and-white Swallow — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue-and-white Swallow's range?
The Blue-and-white Swallow has a mapped global range of about 10.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Hirundinidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.