Birds in my garden - Pacific Swallow

Size of bird :- 14 Cm. The bird is marginally smaller than the Barn Swallow at 14 cm. The Pacific and the Barn Swallow have  identical looks. Almost the same  too. so the only way to tell them apart is the presence of the dark breast band. And of course in other time the streamers at the end of the tail.

Habitats & preferences:- The bird prefers coastal areas with vegetation. This lowland birds is also seen up in the Montane areas as well. They  are perch in high and open spots but unlike Barn Swallow, they do choose spots near to the ground.

Like the Barn Swallows, the Pacific is also seen in the same places from lowland to highlands. The birds may be staying in the same location but seldom flock together. Near the coastal region, their presence gets very obvious. They could be in pair or in small family of less than 10 birds. So there is no need to ponder which area the bird could be spotted.

Pacific Swallows # 1

Pacific Swallows  # 2

-

Pacific Swallows  # 3

-

When these tiny birds are spotted, in built up areas e.g. residential township, the Swallows seen here are likely to be Pacific Swallows and with almost no Barn Swallows. Beside resorting to the technique of looking out for the diagnostic marking of the dark breast band for ID, one can be certain that these urban Swallows are of one species.

One interesting observation. Not by co-incidence, comparing the perches the 2 species of birds are seen with. The Barn Swallows normally on cables high up while the Pacific Swallows were seen in a wide diversities of resting places.