(Hirundo Neoxena)
Length: 15 cm Common
Widespread, mainly in southern Australia. The Welcome Swallow is metallic blue-black above, light grey below on the breast and belly and rust on the forehead, throat and upper breast. It has a long forked tail with a row of white spots on the feathers. The outer tail feathers (streamers) are slightly shorter in the female.
Welcome Swallows visit a large number of habitats with the exception of more heavily forested regions and drier inland areas. They live on a wide variety of small flying insects and feed in large flocks.
Cup shaped nest composed of pellets of mud reinforced with small pieces of grass, made by both sexes and is attached to a suitable structure, such as a vertical rock wall or building. The nest is lined with feathers and fur. The female alone incubates the eggs but the young are fed by both parents. Often two broods are raised in a season.
