The Tree Swallow is a cavity-nesting swallow with iridescent blue-green upperparts and clean white underparts. It is notable among swallows for its ability to digest berries when insects are scarce during cold spring weather — allowing it to be one of the earliest returning migrants. It is the most-studied wild bird in North America due to extensive nest box monitoring programs.
Best time to see a Tree Swallow
The best time to see a Tree Swallow is March–May, when about 68% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 58,786 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Tree Swallow? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Tree Swallow sightings near you
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