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The tree martin (''Petrochelidon nigricans'') is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds. It breeds in Australia, mostly south of latitude 20°S, and in Timor. It is migratory wintering through most of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia east of the Wallace Line and the Solomon Islands. It is a vagrant to New Zealand, where it has bred, and New Caledonia. This species is frequently placed in the genus ''Hirundo'' as ''Hirundo nigricans''. This is a bird of open woodland, preferably with large trees to provide nest holes. It is increasingly common in urban and suburban areas. ==Description== The tree martin averages 13 cm long and has a shallowly forked tail. The adult has an iridescent blue back and crown, brown wings and tail, a rufous forehead and a whitish rump. The underparts are white. The sexes are similar, but young birds are duller and browner, with a paler forehead and pale fringes to the back and wing feathers. The call of this vocal swallow is a ''tsweet'' and the song is a high-pitched twitter. This species can be distinguished from other Australian swallows by its tail shape and pale rump. The most similar species, the fairy martin, has a rufous head and nape The tree martin has three subspecies: *''H. n. nigricans'', the largest subspecies, breeds in eastern Australia, except northern Queensland, and is the form that has bred in New Zealand. *''H. n.neglecta '' breeds in western and northern Australia. It is slightly smaller than nominate ''nigricans'' at 11–12 cm length. *''H. n. timoriensis'', the smallest subspecies, breeds mainly in Timor. It has dark streaks on the throat and neck. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「tree martin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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