Aussie Finch Forum

Just wondering if anyone can help identify a pair of birds I saw this afternoon.They were a pair who looked very similar and were on a fence by the River in parkland.They were about 15-17 cm id say and had a forked tail like a swallow,they were a silver grey on the body and tail and a dark metalic blue on the back and wings.They each had a face that was a teracotta colour and were realy striking little birds ..
any ideas???

Sounds like a Bee eater

Are you sure they weren't in fact swallows? A lot of them around at the moment in Sydney.

Regards

Craig

craigvdl wrote:Are you sure they weren't in fact swallows? A lot of them around at the moment in Sydney.

Regards

Craig

mmmm could be a barn swallow.....

Try Fairy Martin or Tree Martin

ok thanks found it,craig you were right its a swallow,I looked up the tree and fairy martins and the fairy martin was the closest but not quite..clicked on a link to Welcome swallows in that breed and thats them ,that realy teracota face . funny iv never seen them before yet they are supposed to be common .Lovely little birds anyway very striking
thanks!!

I think it is a Barn Swollow
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In Sydney it is much more likely to by a welcome swallow than a barn swallow. If it was a barn swallow the twitchers would start twitching

Barn Swallows look hard to tell, but you know you've got one the moment you see it, the way the colours blend together is completely different with them to a normal swallow. The only difference is that they've got a bolder band and the feathers below that are white, but you'll never get the two confused if you have experience with either.

that barn swallow is also very close but looking at the wikpedia photos of the 2 im sure its a welcome swallow..the image is identical to the 2 I saw with the realy teracota face.Its great to see these different birds in the inner suburbs we never used to get them