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White-backed Swallow

(Cheramoeca leucosternus)
: "Black-and-white Swallow", "White-breasted Swallow", "White-capped Swallow"

Aboriginal name(s): "boodibodi" (WA)
Size: 14-15 cm
Weight: 11-17 g

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

White-backed Swallows are similar in size to other swallows found in Australia, while martins are smaller. They have a mottled grey cap above white eyebrows and a wide dark-grey eye stripe that merges into a brown band acros the nape of the neck. Part of the front (throat, breast and underwing coverts) is white, while the rest (belly, vent, undertail and flight feathers) is all dark-grey. The back is white, while the rest of the upperparts (mantle, rump, upperwings and uppertail) is also all dark-grey. The tail is deeply forked. The eyes have dark irises. The very short bill is black; the legs and feet are grey. Juveniles have shorter tails and duller colours. Their cap, and possibly also the chin, is buff-coloured.

Taxonomy, classification

See White-backed Swallow 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 White-backed Swallow is available HERE .

NB: Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their distribution is not a good representation of the overall distribution of the species.

White-backed Swallows are endemic to Australia. They populate roughly the southern part of the Australian continent, up to about the tropic of Capricorn (only in WA they go farther North, into the Gascoyne). There are two major populations, one in WA and one in the south-east of the continent. Their range in WA encompasses about the western three-quarters of the state, up to about Eighty Mile Beach in the North and the Gibson Desert NR in the East. They are not found on the south-western tip of WA and rarely in the Perth area. The range of the second large population extends from the southern NT via most of SA, northern VIC and all of NSW into southern QLD, including the Simpson Desert. They are not found along the South coast of VIC and up to about Woollongong, NSW, and only rarely further up North along the NSW coast. Occasionally, especially after substantial inland rainfall, White-backed Swallows can extend their range to encompass basially the entire southern continent (including the major sandy deserts), up to a line connecting about Eighty Mile Beach, WA, with Mt. Isa, QLD and Rockhampton, QLD.

White-backed Swallows are mostly found in open, sandy country, often above open grassland and low shrubs. During the breeding season they have a strong preference for habitats around (often dry) creek beds (they nest in nest tunnels dug into steep banks).

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

White-backed Swallows used the summer months to hunt insects above the paddocks where we lived in 2003-2006, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW. They came in flocks of around 50 birds, but did not settle to allow us taking a photo. This is the only time we have seen them in a flock. Since then, White-backed Swallows have since been seen semi-regularly, usually as pairs, in Eulah Creek, NSW, where they are usually found hawking for insects above paddocks, a farm dam and sometimes also around a house.

Two White-backed Swallows were spotted by C. Hayne 35 km East of Moree, NSW, in September 2011.

A pair of White-backed Swallows was spotted by us on the outskirts of Tibooburra, NSW, in September 2012, while M. Eaton found the species at Kilcowera Station, between Thargomindah and Hungerford, QLD, in June 2020.

Four birds were spotted hawking for insects above the at the time dry bed of Maules Creek, 20 km South-East of the community of Maules Creek, NSW, in May 2013.

In October/November 2014 we spotted White-backed Swallows 15 km East of Narrabri, NSW. They were seen there over an extended period, once chasing away one of their kind and once seen exploring a steep creek bank, possibly exploring the area for a suitable site for their tunnel nest. Numbers varied from only a pair to about 25-30. White-backed Swallows were spotted by us at the same location again in September 2015, when one bird was seen carrying nest material. In October 2015 we found a nest tunnel at the same location. Two White-backed Swallows were spotted in the same location in subsequent breeding seasons (2016 - 2018).

In May 2022 we found 4 juvenile White-backed Swallows near water in woodland close to Kenebri, NSW.

M. Eaton reports finding White-backed Swallows along the Strzelecki Track, e.g. at the Montecollina Bore, SA, in June 2022.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of two White-backed Swallows (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Near-frontal view of a White-backed Swallow in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2013]

Near-frontal view of a White-backed Swallow in flight
[Sturt NP, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral view of two White-backed Swallows hunting
[Sturt NP, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral view of a White-backed Swallow banking sharply, thereby displaying prominently the deeply forked tail
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2015]

Pair(?) of White-backed Swallows hawking for insects
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2018]

White-backed Swallow in flight seen from straight underneath; this is one of the birds whose calls were recorded on 31 October 2014
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]

White-backed Swallow in flight seen from straight underneath
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2020]

Dorsal view of a White-backed Swallow in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2013]

White-backed Swallow "dropping a bombshell"...
[Near Maules Creek, NSW, May 2013]

These are the two White-backed Swallows whose calls were recorded on 16 October 2014; when their calls were recorded, they were chasing away a third White-backed Swallow
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile White-backed Swallow; note the creamy-buff cap
[Near Kenebri, NSW, May 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of 3 juvenile White-backed Swallows
[Near Kenebri, NSW, May 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of 4 juvenile White-backed Swallows
[Near Kenebri, NSW, May 2022]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Dec Eggs: 4 - 6 Incubation period: 14 - 16 days Fledging age: 14 - 16 days

The breeding season listed in the table above is the preferred season in the southern part of the continent. Depending on geographic latitude and/or weather conditions, White-backed Swallows can, in principle, breed any time of the year.

Nest building: Female & male Incubation: Female (& male?) Dependent care: Female & male

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

Type: Tunnel Material: Soft soil; grass, rootlet, feather lining Height above ground: N/A

White-backed Swallows are the only Australian swallows or martins to use a tunnel for nesting. We found a pair nesting in close proximity to several other tunnel-nesting species, such as Rainbow Bee-eaters, Red-backed Kingfishers and Striated Pardalotes.

Our limited experience so far suggests that, at least in their nesting behaviour, White-backed Swallows are the complete opposite of Welcome Swallows. They are very shy around their nest and do not tolerate the proximity of humans. They watch the surroundings of their nest from the air and don't approach the nest tunnel when suspecting a potential threat. The approach, after flying in circles above the general area of the nest site, is quick and furtive.

General location of a pair of White-backed Swallows' nest tunnel; the entrance is the small hole at the centre of the image
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

Entrance to a pair of White-backed Swallows' nest tunnel
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

White-backed Swallow at the entrance to its nest tunnel; a quick glance first...
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

... before leaving the tunnel
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

White-backed Woodswallow's departure observed from the other side
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

White-backed Swallow carrying nest material (slightly unsharp)
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2015]

White-backed Swallows' nest tunnel in the same bank as shown above, one year later
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2016]

White-backed Swallow looking out of its nest tunnel in the opposite bank, when the one favoured in previous years was obscured by regrowth in the dry creekbed; this is one of the birds whose calls were recorded on 6 October 2019
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2019]

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

Size: 17 x 12 mm Colour: White Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Flock

We have repeatedly found White-backed Swallows hawking for insects above (dry) creek beds and gullies.

Closer look at one of the two White-backed Swallows whose calls were recorded on 16 October 2014, hawking for insects; this photo was taken out of a dry creek bed
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]

White-backed Swallows seen hawking for insects above (dry) creek beds are also regularly observed by us in low flight above nearby paddocks, sometimes together with other species of swallows and/or martins
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2018]

Food, Diet

Adults: Small insects Dependents: As adults Water intake: Daily(?)

Like all other swallows known to us, White-backed Swallows 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.

wbswall_20141016_5.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© MD
wbswall_20141031_3.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© MD
wbswall_20141016_2.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© MD
wbswall_20141016.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© MD
wbswall_20191006_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	Warning call (in-flight)	© MD
wbswall_20180809_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	Warning calls (in-flight)	© MD
wbswall_20180809.m4a	(NW NSW)	Warning calls (in-flight)	© MD
wbswall_20191006.m4a	(NW NSW)	Warning calls (in-flight, near nest)	© MD

More White-backed Swallow sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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