Photo: Hans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mangrove Swallow
Tachycineta albilinea
Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 16.7 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 Tachycineta
- Species albilinea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mangrove Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Mangrove Swallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea) is a member of the Hirundinidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA e and w coast of Mexico to Panama.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.7 g, with a wing length of about 9.9 cm and a tail of around 4.1 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 755,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mangrove Swallow?
The Mangrove Swallow is a small bird that weighs around 16.7 g.
Where does the Mangrove Swallow live?
The Mangrove Swallow is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA e and w coast of Mexico to Panama, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Mangrove Swallow belong to?
The Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Mangrove Swallow eat?
The Mangrove Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mangrove Swallow migrate?
The Mangrove Swallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mangrove 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 Mangrove Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the Mangrove 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 Mangrove Swallow's range?
The Mangrove Swallow has a mapped global range of about 755,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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