FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Pacific swallows (Hirundo tahitica) are members of the swallow family and are songbirds of nature. The maximum range of the bird is found in tropical southern Asia as well as islands in the South Pacific. The species is a resident apart from a few seasonal movements. The birds are very small in size and often confused with other swallow species such as the barn swallow and the welcome swallow. The bird is often seen perching atop telephone lines in cities while looking for places like a cliff ledge for building its nest. They are aerial insectivores and very adept at flying close to the grounds in search of insects like flies to eat.
If you read this article and like it, you can consider reading similar facts about northern parulas and cockatoos.
The Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is a bird species that belongs to the family of Hirundinidae.
Like all other species of birds, the Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is also a member of the Aves class and belongs to the kingdom Animalia.
The exact population distribution of the birds in the world is not known. However, being a Least Concern species, it can be assumed that the bird is plenty in numbers all across the world.
South Pacific islands are the place where you might see the birds most commonly. The range is also distributed in tropical southern Asia such as in the countries of Japan, India, Singapore, and Thailand. Some more nations to spot the swallows are Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Laos. Subspecies of these swallows are distributed all across the southern Pacific islands.
It is common to associate the Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) with the coast but recent trends show that the bird can be spotted in forested uplands as well. The nests of the bird can be found on several man-made structures such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings. The ledge of a cliff is a preferred place for the building of nests by the Pacific Swallows. You can see the member of the swallow family more in urban areas than in the countryside. Cities and towns are favored habitats for the swallows. You might even sight some of them above lakes and fields. They perch on telephone lines in the cities alongside other swallow subspecies.
Swallows generally nest in colonies. The size of the colony can range from a single pair to a number of pairs. Large flocks of swallows are also seen living together in one place.
The average lifespan of the Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is about four years.
Not much is known about the breeding of the Pacific swallows. We know they line their nest with soft material. The size of the clutch is quite small. The clutch consists of two to three eggs.
According to reports of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, the Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is a species of Least Concern with an unknown population trend. The distribution of the species is widespread so there is no need for any conservation activities at the moment.
Pacific swallows (Hirundo tahitica) are perching birds, or Passeriformes. The species has a red face and the same colored throat. The forehead is rufous in color. The underparts are dusky in nature. The identification marks of the species are its bluish-black back and its brown tail and wings. It has a grayish buff below. It is distinguished from the barn swallow by its less forked tail which is shorter compared to the previous swallow.
Pacific swallows can be considered cute birds. The small size of the species coupled with their colorful feathers gives attributes of cuteness to these birds. While it remains airborne, the swallow is a delight to watch.
Swallows are known as songbirds as they use a number of calls or songs when they want to communicate with each other. These calls have different meanings. Some denote mating calls and express excitement while another is for raising alarm when a threat is perceived.
Swallows are generally small birds. The Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is no exception. The maximum length of the species varies between 5.12-5.51 in (13-14 cm). Compared to this, the short-eared owl is thrice the size with their maximum size being 16.7 in (42 cm).
Pacific swallows are known for their flight and it has been observed that they are fast flyers. They feed on insects while airborne.
Although there is no available data to determine the weight of the Pacific swallows, it can be assumed that similar to other swallows, they are also lightweight birds. The small size further confirms that their weight is minuscule.
The male and female Pacific swallows have no distinct names for them and the identification process is quite difficult.
Baby Pacific swallows are known as chicks.
Pacific swallows are aerial insectivores and behave in a similar way to other insectivores such as swifts. If you see a Pacific swallow flying, chances are that it is looking for insects like flies to eat while being airborne. They will often fly low in order to catch tiny flying insects. The swallows themselves are in danger of predatory birds like hawks and falcons.
The word 'danger' is totally unrelated to the Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica). They are small birds in search of free breeding spaces among man-made structures. They are often found living closely with humans.
Although the neat cup-shaped nest of the Pacific swallow is found in spaces closely related to human beings, they are not at all suitable to be used as pets. It is a free bird species that fly wherever it wishes to.
Swallows are unrelated to swifts although several people think they are. They are not closely related in any way.
Swallows are found all over the world except in Antarctica.
The meaning of the word swallow is throat in Middle English. From here the name of the bird has originated.
Generally, swallows are harmless birds but if you get too close to their nests, you might be attacked by them. This is especially true about barn swallows.
Purple martens are the largest species of swallows in the world.
People are often confused when it comes to Pacific swallow vs barn swallow. The Pacific swallow has a less forked tail that is also shorter. The barn swallow has a blue breast band that is lacking in the Pacific swallow.
A unique feature of the Pacific swallow is its neat cup-shaped nest. It is made from mud pellets on vertical surfaces. The pellets are collected in the bird’s beak. While flying, the bird folds its wings back that is unique among other species.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our common swift facts and Blackpoll warbler facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Pacific swallow coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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