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Most bird observers are not troubled separating Fairy and Tree Martins from Welcome Swallows. Apart from plumage differences, Martins are relatively easy to distinguish from Welcome Swallows by their white rumps and the absence of the strongly forked tail of the Welcome Swallow. However, differentiating between Fairy Martins and Tree Martins can sometimes be a problem. Both Fairy and Tree Martins are partly migratory, arriving in Victoria from the north in August/September and departing March/April, but many birds are residents.
The following table compares some of the basic identification features.
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Fairy Martin |
Tree Martin |
Length |
12 cm |
10 to 13 cm |
Sexes |
Similar |
Similar |
Upperparts
|
Breeding and non breeding plumage similar; rufous head; dark blue-black on back, wings and short squarish tail with slight forking; white rump; small white streaks in nape area. |
Breeding and non breeding plumage similar; dark blue-black, generally including short squarish tail with slight forking (glossier on head and cheeks); forehead with rusty spot; rump dull white, sometimes stained pale rufous. |
Underparts |
Breeding and non breeding plumage similar; white with some tiny dark streaks on throat. |
Breeding and non breeding plumage similar; whitish with some faint dark flecks on throat. |
Flight
|
High and low; rapid when in pursuit of insects. |
High and low; rapid and erratic. |
Bill
|
Small; pointed; black. |
Small; pointed; black. |
Eye
|
Blackish brown iris with dark grey orbital ring. |
Blackish brown iris with dark grey orbital ring. |
Legs and feet |
Dark pinkish grey |
Dark pinkish grey |
Juveniles |
Similar but generally paler and duller |
Similar but generally paler and duller |
Call
|
Soft churring ‘dreet, dreet’ and similar |
Churring ‘drrt, drrt’ lower pitched than Fairy Martin; also a pleasant twittering song |
Nest
|
Mud bottle nest with drooping entrance spout; built in colonies; in culverts, under bridges and eaves, and attached to trees near water. |
Generally in small hollows in trees but occasionally in cracks and crevices in similar sites to Fairy Martin. |
The main diagnostic feature in the field to differentiate between the two species is the colour of the head with Fairy Martins having an all rufous head and Tree Martins only a small amount of rufous on the forehead. Also, the white rump of the Tree Martin is generally duller than the rump of the Fairy Martin. If the birds are nesting, the distinctive nests are diagnostic in confirming the identification.
Prepared by Bill Ramsay based on an article by Fred T H Smith,
published in The Bird Observer, June 1990
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| Fairy Martin Nests |
Fairy Martin Nests |
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| Fairy Martins |
Fairy Martins |
Photographs by Bill Ramsay
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