Welcome Swallow
Welcome SwallowWelcome SwallowWelcome SwallowWelcome Swallow

Welcome Swallow

Hirundo neoxena

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Rakiura National Park
435 Verified records at Rakiura National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 Rakiura National Park, based on 435 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Rakiura National Park

Fairy Martin
LC

Fairy Martin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petrochelidon ariel

Insufficient data
Tūī
LC Endemic

Tūī

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae

80–90% · Very likely
New Zealand Bellbird
LC Endemic

New Zealand Bellbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthornis melanura

70–80% · Very likely
New Zealand Fantail
LC Endemic

New Zealand Fantail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rhipidura fuliginosa

70–80% · Very likely
Grey Warbler
LC Endemic

Grey Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gerygone igata

60–70% · Likely
South Island Robin
LC Endemic

South Island Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petroica australis

50–60% · Likely
Mōhua (Yellowhead)
NT Endemic

Mōhua (Yellowhead)

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mohoua ochrocephala

40–50% · Likely
Eurasian Blackbird
LC Endemic

Eurasian Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus merula

40–50% · Likely
South Island Saddleback
LC Endemic

South Island Saddleback

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Philesturnus carunculatus

40–50% · Likely
Chaffinch
LC

Chaffinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fringilla coelebs

30–40% · Possible
Miromiro
LC Endemic

Miromiro

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petroica macrocephala

30–40% · Possible
European Starling
LC Endemic

European Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sturnus vulgaris

30–40% · Possible

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
20–30
Feb
10–20
Mar
20–30
Apr
20–30
May
10–20
Jun
5–10
Jul
30–40
Aug
40–50
Sep
20–30
Oct
30–40
Nov
30–40
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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

# Park Country Probability
1 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
60–70%
2 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
60–70%
3 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
60–70%
4 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
60–70%
5 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
60–70%
6 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
60–70%
7 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
60–70%
8 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
50–60%
9 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
50–60%
10 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
50–60%
11 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
12 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
40–50%
13 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
14 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
15 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
16 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
17 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
18 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
19 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
20 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
21 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
22 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
23 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Welcome Swallow in Rakiura National Park?

About 31% of wildlife watchers report a Welcome Swallow sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 435 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Welcome Swallow in Rakiura National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Welcome Swallow in Rakiura National Park in our monthly data.

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