Swallows in Belize | Belize Budget Suites

Swallows - in Belize

Ridgway's Rough Winged

Ridgway's Rough Winged Swallow

Ridgeway's Rough Winged Swallow
BELIZE HABITAT - Forest clearings and wooded streams in karst limestone areas, where it nests in caves.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Common resident in Maya Mountains and karst limestone hills in Toledo, Stann Creek and Cayo, north to south west Belize; reported also in west Orange Walk.

Northern Rough Winged

Northern Rough Winged Swallow

Northern Rough Winged Swallow - Dullest of the swallows. Plain brown above with indistinct brown wash across breast. Wings are relatively broad and tail is short and square. Fond of areas near water. Breeds in holes along riverbanks and other cavities and crevices. Not colonial nester like Bank Swallow. Call is a low, grating buzz that rises slightly in pitch.
BELIZE HABITAT - Resident populations are found in forest clearings and perhaps elsewhere, but distribution and habitat preferences relative to those of Ridgeway's are unclear. North America migrants may be found in most open areas, especially along coast and over lagoons, agricultural fields, orchards, pastureland and roadways.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Complex and not fully understood. Those from North America winter in Belize (late September to mid-April). Resident populations are found at scattered locations in the interior.

Bank Swallow

Bank Swallow - Small, compact swallow that is brown above and white below. Note white throat, sharply contrasting brown chest band, notched tail and more angular, pointy wings. Colonial nester; builds nest by tunneling into sandbank. Forages for insects over fields, marshes, and ponds.
BELIZE HABITAT - Most open areas, but concentrations occur only along coast. Some also migrate along ridgelines in interior.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Fairly common to locally common autumn and less common spring transient, primarily along coast; mid-August to mid-November and mid-March to late May; occasional in winter.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow - Common and widespread swallow that is found in a variety of open habitats like fields and wetlands. Adults are iridescent blue-green above (dark in poor light) and bright white below; immatures are duller. They forage on the wing for insects, often giving cheery gurgling calls. Nests in cavities, especially bluebird boxes.
BELIZE HABITAT - Primarily aerial. Likely to be found over open areas; often congregates over wetlands; perches on power lines, dead snags.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Common to locally very common winter visitor along and near mainland coast in north, less common to south and inland. Found in winter on Ambergris Caye, but primarily a transient on other cayes. One of the last North America migrants to arrive in autumn (late October) and one of the first to leave (early April).

Mangrove Swallow

Mangrove Swallow - Small swallow of tropical lowlands. Usually near water, from mangroves and coastal lagoons to rivers well inland; mainly in small groups, often mixed with other species of swallows. In its range, the big white rump patch is distinctive. Adult is metallic blue above with small white chevron across base of bill; gleaming white below. Juvenile has dusky gray-brown upperparts with white rump, looks like adult by early winter.
BELIZE HABITAT - Lagoons, coastal areas, rivers; more widely dispersed outside the nesting season.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Locally common resident on mainland, Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker.

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow - Recognizable even at a distance by its extremely long forked tail and dark rump. Spends a lot of time in flight, zipping over fields and ponds in search of insects. Appears dark above (iridescent navy blue in good light) and lighter below; belly color varies considerably across its extremely wide distribution, ranging from white to orange. Typically nests near people, in barns or under docks and other structures.
BELIZE HABITAT - Nearly ubiquitous, but concentrations occur along coast and offshore, and in interior over wetlands, farms and pastures.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Common to very uncommon transient, early March to early June, and mid-July to late November; uncommon to locally fairly common in winter.

Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow - Compact swallow with a short tail. Looks slightly rounder winged than other swallows. Nests under bridges, overpasses, and culverts. Often sticks out among a flock of other swallows with its pale orangey rump. Cave Swallow also has a pale rump, but note Cliff's darker throat, white forehead, and different range.
BELIZE HABITAT - Open areas; concentrates along coast, but also found over interior wetlands and occasional elsewhere. Some migrate along ridgelines in interior.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Common autumn and less common apring transient, especially along coast, mid-August to early November and early March to mid-May.

Cave Swallow

Cave Swallow - Small, compact swallow. Often forages over water for flying insects. Sometimes nests in caves, but more commonly found under bridges or other structures in the U.S. Makes a nest out of dried mud. Distinguished from most swallows by square tail and pale orange rump. Similar to Cliff Swallow, but note Cave's orange forehead and paler throat. Dramatically increasing in Texas. Vagrants turn up in Northeast U.S. in late fall, after most other swallows have departed.
BELIZE HABITAT - Most likely to be seen migrating along coastline, but also found over wetlands and other large, open areas in interior.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Very uncommon autumn migrant along coast, mid-September to mid-November. One record at Blue Creek rice fields Orange Walk on March 30, 1999.

Gray-Breasted Martin

Gray Breasted Martin

Purple Martin

Gray Breasted Martin - Large swallow of tropical lowlands; both sexes resemble female Purple Martin of North America. Fairly common in towns, villages, open and semi-open country with taller trees and other structures that provide nest cavities. Upperparts dark bluish overall (brighter on male), throat and breast dusky, belly whitish. Lacks pale forehead and pale hindcollar of female Purple Martin. Larger than rough-winged swallows, with a more deeply forked tail, blue cast to upperparts.
BELIZE HABITAT - Open country; nests in tree cavities and in crevices in buildings and other structures.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Common to very common dry season resident, late December (Belize's easliest spring migrant) to late September. No confirmed records from outside this period. In July and August., large flocks of migrating martins of both species gather in certain areas, especially along coast. Generally, much less common than Purpose on cayes in migration.

Purple Martin - Largest swallow in the U.S. Rather long notched tail and long, pointed wings. In the eastern U.S., nests exclusively in nest boxes and martin houses; also uses natural cavities in parts of the western U.S. Adult males are dark overall with a purplish-blue iridescence visible up close. Females are grayer with some patterning on the underparts; immatures have a white belly. Gives a liquid gurgling call. Winters in South America, where identification is complicated by several other extremely similar species of martin.
BELIZE HABITAT - Primarily aerial, generally over open country;perches on power lines and tall dead trees in open areas.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
Common autumn transient, less common in spring; late June (Belize's earliest autumn migrant) to late October, and early February to mid-April. The martin seen most frequently on the cayes.

Snowy-Bellied Martin

Snowy Bellied Martin

Snowy Bellied Martin
BELIZE HABITAT - Likely to be found in the same areas as other martins in migration.
Where can you find this bird in Belize?
One record: Belize City, late august 1962 (several seen flying out to sea with migrating Purple Martins). Given that Caribbean and Sinbloa martins seen in the field are essentially indistinguishable, which type actually seen is not known. Thus the name "Snowy-Bellied Martin", which encompasses both the Caribbean and the Sinaloa martins when treated as sub-species, is used here for convenience.