Pale-footed swallow

The pale-footed swallow (Orochelidon flavipes) is a type of bird in the family Hirundinidae. It lives in the northern Andes, from Venezuela to Bolivia. This bird is the only one of its kind in its group.

It likes to live in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Pale-footed swallows are often seen flying in small groups and sometimes join with the blue-and-white swallow.

Good news for these birds — they are doing well and are not in danger. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says they are a least-concern species. This means there are enough of them, and they are safe for now.

Taxonomy and etymology

This swallow is a special bird.

The pale-footed swallow is also called the cloud-forest swallow because it lives in cloud forests.

Description

The pale-footed swallow is a small bird, about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs around 10.6 g (0.37 oz). It has shiny blue feathers on its back, with darker wings, tail, and underside feathers. Its face has a dusky chin and a cinnamon-colored throat, while its chest and belly are white with a warm, cinnamon tinge. The bird has blackish-brown feathers under its wings and on its sides, along with a black bill and dark eyes. Its tail is slightly notched, and its legs and feet are pink.

These swallows can be told apart from the blue-and-white swallow by their darker side feathers and quicker flight. They are a bit smaller than the blue-and-white swallow. Their flight call often sounds like “dzreet” and is drier than the call of the blue-and-white swallow. They also make a trilled call that sounds like “tre-e-e-ed.” Their song is a mix of trills and soft, musical warbles.

Distribution

The pale-footed swallow lives in the Andes mountains in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. These birds are mostly found on the eastern slopes of the Andes but can also be seen on both sides in some places. They like wet forests and live at certain heights above sea level, depending on the country.

In Ecuador, they are usually found between 2,600 m and 3,300 m above sea level. In Peru and Bolivia, they live between 2,000 m and 3,500 m. In Venezuela, they are usually between 2,200 m and 2,400 m, but sometimes they can be seen as low as 1,550 m, especially during bad weather. These birds generally stay in the same areas all year.

Behaviour

The pale-footed swallow breeds from July to September. Both males and females help with the eggs. These birds build nests in burrows, like the blue-and-white swallow. They live in forests with many trees and like higher areas.

These swallows eat insects while flying, usually above the trees. They fly quickly and in zigzag patterns, often turning back. They fly in groups of 10 to 15 birds, but sometimes up to 50 birds fly together. They rarely land, but when they do, they sit on bare branches of forest trees. They sometimes fly with the brown-bellied swallow.

Status

This bird is considered safe by the IUCN. Its numbers are steady, and it lives in a very large area. Scientists think there are probably more than 10,000 of these birds. They seem fairly common, even though they might be hard to notice because they look like another type of swallow. Their home range stretches over about 2,730,000 km² (1,050,000 mi²).