5.75 inches long. The Tree Swallow has a tiny bill, iridescent blue-green upperparts, and all white underparts. Just behind the wings there is a small white crescent extending from the undersides up to the back. The tail is forked. Like all swallows the Tree Swallow has long pointed wings. The first spring female is duller than the male with brownish upperparts.
The Tree Swallow is a common breeding bird that arrives as early as late March and leaves by early October.
The Tree Swallow is most often seen flying over open fields, meadows, marshes, lakeshores, and other wetland margins. It is a highly social bird that is often seen in large flocks. It nests in cavities near the water and will readily nest in manmade boxes. They arrive early in the spring in order to find some of the limited numbers of nest cavities. Its diet generally consists of flying insects but unlike other swallows, the Tree Swallow can subsist for extended periods on seeds and berries.
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