Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
- GenusHirundo (Typical Swallows)
- SpeciesHirundo neoxena (Welcome Swallow)
The welcome swallow (Hirundo neoxena) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae that is native to Australia and nearby islands. It has self-introduced into New Zealand in the middle of the twentieth century. It is very similar to the Pacific swallow with which it is often considered conspecific. This species breeds in southern and eastern Australia in a variety of habitats, mostly in open areas, man-made clearings or urban environments, but not desert or dense forest. Eastern populations are largely migratory, wintering in northern Australia. Western birds and those in New Zealand are mainly sedentary. Wikipedia →
30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Welcome Swallow sighting in Blue Mountains National Park, based on 1,922 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Blue Mountains National Park
Tree Martin
Petrochelidon nigricans
Fairy Martin
Petrochelidon ariel
Eastern Spinebill
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Australian Magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Pied Currawong
Strepera graculina
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Caligavis chrysops
Satin Bowerbird
Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
Eastern Yellow Robin
Eopsaltria australis
White-throated Treecreeper
Cormobates leucophaea
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Welcome Swallow in Blue Mountains National Park?
About 34% of wildlife watchers report a Welcome Swallow sighting in Blue Mountains National Park, based on 1,922 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Welcome Swallow in Blue Mountains National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Welcome Swallow in Blue Mountains National Park in our monthly data.