Mangrove Swallow
Tachycineta albilinea
About This Species
A small swallow tied closely to mangroves, rivers and coastal wetlands in Central America and northern South America, often seen skimming low over water to catch insects. Look for its metallic green-blue back and white underparts as it perches on low branches, dead snags or wires near the shoreline, present year-round in its coastal range.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep boats and foot traffic at a distance that does not flush birds from favoured perches or nest cavities in mangrove trees.
- Protection of native birds and their habitat varies across the countries within its range, so check local regulations rather than assuming uniform coverage.
- Mangrove habitat itself is often separately protected, so stay on established trails or channels rather than pushing into stands to get closer views.
LCAvesPasseriformesHirundinidae
Seasonal Activity
191,261 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
Photo
(c) reddemonitoreocomunitariomayanjays, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by reddemonitoreocomunitariomayanjays
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.