|
FAIRY MARTIN FACTS |
Description
A small bird, with blue-black to brown wings, a white underbody and a pinkish-red head. The short, slightly-forked tail appears square in flight. Males and females are similar; juvenile birds are duller in colour. Body size up to 12 cm.
The Fairy Martin is a member of the swallow family and is known as the 'Bottle Swallow' for its characteristic bottle-shaped mud nests. A colonial nester, these birds build mud nests that are packed closely together on the ceilings of caves, and under bridges or other similar structures. Both sexes build the nest and share incubation and care of the young. Feeds high in the air on flying insects, usually in large flocks. The call is a soft, churring and twittering sound.
Author credit: Louise Carter / Australian Museum
Habitat
Open country near water, and is usually seen near its nest sites, on cliffs, culverts or bridges.
Food
Insectivore
Range
Across Australia
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Species Description is from Museums Field Guide, Atlas of Living Australia at website at https://lists.ala.org.au Licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Passeriformes | | Family: | Hirundinidae | | Genus: | Petrochelidon | | Species: | ariel | | Common Name: | Fairy Martin |
Relatives in same Genus
Tree Martin (P. nigricans)
|
|
