1/5 karrar I. 4 years ago on Google • 38 reviews
The
golden
swallow
(Tachycineta
euchrysea)
is
a
passerine
in
the
swallow
family,
Hirundinidae.
Two
subspecies
are
recognised,
the
Jamaican
T.
e.
euchrysea
and
T.
e.
sclateri
of
Hispaniola
(Haiti
and
the
Dominican
Republic).
It
usually
inhabits
the
hills
on
the
interior
of
islands,
preferring
open
country.
Currently,
this
swallow
is
restricted
to
isolated
montane
forests
that
primarily
consist
of
the
Hispaniolan
pine.
This
species
is
considered
to
be
a
vulnerable
species
by
the
International
Union
for
Conservation
of
Nature
(IUCN),
although
the
nominate
subspecies,
T.
e.
euchrysea,
is
likely
extinct.
The
exact
cause
of
extinction
is
unknown,
but
likely
factors
include
predation
by
mammals
and
habitat
loss,
although
the
habitat
loss
theory
is
not
supported
by
very
much
evidence.
The
last
sighting
of
the
nominate
subspecies
was
in
Hardwar
Gap
(located
on
the
boundary
between
Saint
Andrew
and
Portland
parishes),
with
three
birds
being
seen
on
8
June
1989.
Quick
Facts:
Red
Baron'Bold
text''''Bold
text''''Bold
text''''Bold
text''''Bold
text''''Bold
text'Bold
text'''''''''''''''',
Conservation
status
…
A
relatively
small
swallow,
the
nominate
subspecies
has
bronze
upperparts
and
bronze
sides
of
the
head.
The
ears
and
lores
are
duller
and
the
forehead
area
is
more
green
than
bronze.
The
shoulders,
back,
rump,
and
uppertail-coverts
are,
on
the
other
hand,
a
coppery-bronze
colour.
The
lesser
and
median
coverts
are
more
coppery,
with
the
greater
and
primary-wing-coverts
being
more
of
a
dusky
green.
The
primaries,
secondaries,
and
tail
are
a
dusky
bronze-green.
The
underparts
are
mostly
white.
The
legs,
feet,
and
irides
are
dark
brown,
and
the
bill
is
black.
The
female
is
similar
but
with
its
breast,
and
occasionally
throat
and
undertail-coverts,
being
mottled
grey-brown.
The
juvenile
is
also
mottled-grey
brown,
in
addition
to
it
being
duller
overall.
The
extant
subspecies,
T.
e.
sclateri,
is
primarily
differentiated
by
its
more
deeply
forked
tail,
blue-green
forehead
and
uppertail-coverts,
and
blue-black
wings
and
tail.
In
Hispaniola,
this
swallow
breeds
from
April
to
July,
where
it
lays
a
clutch
consisting
of
two
to
four
white
eggs.
It
formerly
bred
from
June
to
July
in
Jamaica.
The
eggs
are
laid
in
a
cup
nest
that
is
mainly
found
in
Hispaniolan
pine.
It
also
nests
in
caves,
under
the
eaves
of
houses,
in
burned
stands,
and
in
nest
boxes.
This
swallow
is
an
aerial
insectivore,
foraging
for
insects
at
heights
that
are
usually
under
20
m
(66
ft),
and
very
rarely
at
heights
over
30
m
(98
ft).
When
foraging,
it
is
known
to
explore
most
habitats
except
forests.
1 person found this review helpful 👍
