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Tree Martin (Petrochelidon [Hirundo] nigricans) Alternate name(s): "Tree Swallow" Aboriginal name(s): "kybot", "kabikolongkorong", "kabiwatwat", "kybotkybot", "maningwilwil" (WA) Size: 12-13 cm Body mass: 14-19 g

Australia: Family Group 25 Family Group 25 Table Mistletoebird Welcome Swallow Barn Swallow White-backed Swallow Fairy Martin Tree Martin Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Tree Martins are similar in size to Fairy Martins, while swallows are larger. They have a creamy to buff front with some grey striation. The frons is rufous, the crown, nape of the neck and back are bluish-black. The flight feathers are dark grey-brown. The short tail is slightly forked. The eyes have dark irises. The very short bill is black; the legs and feet are grey. Juveniles have duller colours and more streaking on the front. Twitcher's tip Compared with Fairy Martins, Tree Martins have a bluish-black cap, more colour contrast in their plumage and a lightly striated front.

Taxonomy, classification See Tree Martin at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Tree Martin is available HERE . Tree Martins can be found on the Lesser Sunda Islands of eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste, in New Guinea and in Australia. There are only occasional rerports from the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Lord Howe Island. There are two races of Tree Martins in Australia, both of which are endemic breeders; for details of their distributions and different migration patterns see a field guide. The division between the two races occurs along a line connecting roughly Litchfield NP, NT, with the western edge of the Lake Eyre Basin and from there on southward to Eyre peninsula. Nominate race "nigricans" can be found anywhere to the East of that line, except the Lake Eyre Basin. Race "neglecta" will migrate from the North to locations on the entire Australian continent, including the western half, except the major deserts in the border region of WA with the NT and SA. Westward of the line described above, only race "neglecta" is found. In the eastern half of the continent, where both races can mix, only race "nigricans" will cross the Bass Strait to Tasmania. In the far North, northward of the geographic latitude of Eighty Mile Beach in WA, both races mix during the non-breeding season. Both races breed only southward of a line connecting Eighty Mile Beach, WA, with Townsville, QLD. Outside the breeding season they can migrate beyond the North coast, departing towards Indonesia or PNG between about King Sound, on the WA/NT border, and Cape Melville, QLD. Tree Martins are flexible and can live in almost any type of habitat. During their migration they are known to roost in large flocks in reeds. Where to look? How to find this species? During the breeding season it helps if one can find a nesting tree. What one needs to look for is a dead tree in or near water. Since Tree Martins are colonial nesters, the tree must have a multitude of suitable cavities.

Sightings Click here for sighting information A small flock of about 25 Tree Martins was observed by us at Yarrie Lake, about 30 km West of Narrabri, NSW, in August 2011. They were seen hunting low above the treetops. Seen there again in August 2013. In February 2012 a much larger flock of about 250-300 birds was spotted by us about 20 km West of Narrabri, around their favourite nesting tree. About 500-600 birds were spotted by us 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, in May 2012. A flock was seen at the same location, using the same dead tree for nesting, again in November 2012. C. Hayne reports seeing Tree Martins regularly on cotton farms near Moree, NSW. In general, we see Tree Martins semi-regularly in north-western inland NSW. R. Plumtree reports spotting Tree Martins occasionally in the area of East Gippsland, VIC. In August 2014 we spotted Tree Martins at Umbrawarra Gorge NP, near Pine Creek, NT. M. Mearns reports spotting Tree Martins at Lake Nuga Nuga, QLD, in April 2013. M. Eaton reports spotting Tree Martins at Anstead, QLD, in July 2017. J. Greaves spotted a flock of about 1000 Tree Martins, race "neglecta", on the tarmac of the runway of Rottnest Island Airport, WA, in February 2016, where they were congregating for their annual migration to the North at the time. Tree Martins, race "neglecta", were also spotted at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in August 2016.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Near-frontal view of a pair of Tree Martins
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, January 2026]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a pair of Tree Martins
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, December 2018]

(Near-)dorsal view of a pair of Tree Martins near the entrance of their nest
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, July 2019]

Pair of Tree Martins next to a Welcome Swallow (right)
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, July 2019]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Tree Martin looking towards the observer
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2024]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Tree Martin
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, August 2025]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Tree Martin
[Gilgandra Flora Reserve, NSW, December 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Tree Martin
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2024]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Tree Martin
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, August 2025]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Tree Martin issuing its call
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, August 2025]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Tree Martin showing that they can raise their feathers into something resembling a little crest
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, August 2025]

Lateral view of a Tree Martin, race "neglecta", perched on bitumen (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Rottnest Island Airport, WA, February 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Tree Martin,
race "neglecta", perched on red soil (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]

Lateral view of a Tree Martin collecting mud (photo courtesy of R. Druce)

Near-dorsal view of a Tree Martin looking sideways
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a Tree Martin looking sideways
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2024]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Tree Martin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, July 2017]

Tree Martins in the top of a dead tree
[Gilgandra Flora Reserve, NSW, December 2016]

8 of about 1000 Tree Martin, race "neglecta", perched on bitumen (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Rottnest Island Airport, WA, February 2016]

Tree Martins resting at a cotton irrigation farm dam (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Part of a Tree Martin flock populating the top of a dead tree; more birds were seen in other trees in the vicinity at the same time, all busy preening
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2012]

A whole treetop full of Tree Martins
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, May 2012]

Tree Martins, with black caps, and Fairy Martins, with orange-brown caps (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Tree Martin (lower left) and a Fairy Martin (upper right)
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, August 2013]

Lateral view of a Tree Martin in flight, with the characteristic black cap clearly visible
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, June 2012]

Lateral view of a Tree Martin in flight (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Watts Creek, Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2018]

Ventral view of a Tree Martin in flight

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Tree Martin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, May 2020]

Dorsal/ventral view of a Tree Martin (lower left); a juvenile bird can be seen at the top
[Near Narrabri, NSW, February 2012]

Frontal view of two juvenile Tree Martins waiting to be fed (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Sandy Creek Road, Ensay South, VIC, December 2013]

Juvenile Tree Martins being fed by their parents (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Sandy Creek Road, Ensay South, VIC, December 2013]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Jan

Eggs: 3 - 5

Incubation period: 15 - 16 days

Fledging age: 18 - 20 days

Given the right conditions, Tree Martins can breed any time of the year.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tree hollow

Material: Grass, leaves

Height above ground: 10 - 25 m

Tree Martins use relatively small hollows in the upper branches of trees. If necessary, when hollows are too big, they use mud to reduce their diameters.

Tree Martin bringing mud for reducing the diameter of the entrance to its nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]

Tree Martin working on the entrance to its nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]

Tree Martin carrying poo away from its nest (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Castlereagh River, Gilgandra, NSW, November 2016]

Location of a Tree Martin nest in a large hollow in a dead limb of a River Red Gum
[Between Burren Junction and Pilliga, NSW, November 2023]

Here the pair of Tree Martins that are the owners of the nest above
[Between Burren Junction and Pilliga, NSW, November 2023]

The fact that Tree Martins are colonial nesters does not mean that there are no fights over suitable hollows
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, May 2019]

The fact that Tree Martins are colonial nesters does not mean that there are no fights over suitable hollows
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, May 2019]

The fact that Tree Martins are colonial nesters does not mean that there are no fights over suitable hollows
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, May 2019]

This can actually lead to physical attacks
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, May 2019]

Tree Martin collecting nesting material (photo courtesy of R. Druce)

Tree Martin carrying nesting material (photo courtesy of R. Druce)

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 18 x 13 mm

Colour: White, with light-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Flock

Flocks of Tree Martins have the habit of returning to the same tree to nest in for many years.

Some of the photos above already show that Tree Martins are colonial birds. Below another example of this type of behaviour. Note also, based on photos shown above, that they have favourite nesting trees, to which they will return year after year (as long as the dead, hollow trees remain standing and suitable).

Tree Martins on a cotton farm (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Food, Diet

Adults: Small insects

Dependents: As adults

Water intake: Daily(?)

Like all other swallows known to us, Tree Martins are insect hunters. They feed in-flight on small insects.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

tmartin_20190722.m4a	? (NW NSW)	Contact calls? (in-flight)	© MD
tmartin_rp_20190114.m4a	? (VIC)	Contact calls?	© RP
tmartin_20260625.m4a	? (NW NSW)	Contact calls? (in-flight)	© MD

More Tree Martin sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.