Blue-and-white Swallow

How to find it

Look over towns, farmland and open highland areas. It is highly adaptable and does well around people, so it is easy to see near buildings. Scan power lines and branches first, since it often rests there. Watch for flocks where termites are in the air. Roofs and eaves are worth a glance, because it readily nests on buildings, so close views around lodges are common.

How to recognise it

This is a tiny swallow, about 11 cm long and 10 g. Learn these marks in order:

Glossy dark blue above and white below.

Blackish blue flanks and undertail.

Black undertail coverts that contrast with the white underparts, its most distinctive mark.

A slightly forked tail, shorter than on the migratory swallows.

Shorter, broader wings than the migratory swallows.

Juveniles are duller: brownish above with a little blue gloss, and a grayish brown to buff wash on the throat and chest.

What it sounds like

Recording: Henrry, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

This is a sociable swallow that feeds on insects caught in flight. It flies in a fluttering way and often rests on wires or branches. It also gathers where termites are in the air.

Pairs stay together all year, and each pair sleeps in its own crevice or niche. Both parents build the nest. Outside the nesting season it is often seen in small flocks.

Where it lives

In Costa Rica it is resident across the whole country, from about 400 m up to 3000 m or higher in the high mountains. It is rare in Guanacaste.

It lives in towns and cities, farmland with scattered trees, gaps in mountain forest, and bodies of water in the highlands. Across Central America it is mainly a highland bird.

When to see it

The large resident population can be joined by a few migrants from southern South America between May and September.

Similar birds

The Mangrove Swallow looks much like it, with greenish upperparts that can look bluish in some light. The Blue-and-white has black undertail coverts, and Mangrove Swallows are mostly coastal, while this one is found almost anywhere in the country. Gray-breasted Martins nesting on roofs can be mistaken for it: martins have a white vent and a bigger bill and head, while this swallow has a dark, clouded vent. Migrants from southern South America (patagonica race) show black undertail coverts mixed with white, while residents have plain black ones.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

Costa Rican sources list the common names as simply Golondrina, or Golondrina Azul y Blanco. Other Spanish names used across Latin America include golondrina barranquera and golondrina blanquiazul.

Status and conservation

It is listed as a resident and migrant (R,M) on the AOCR list, and the IUCN rates it Least Concern with a very large global population, though the trend is decreasing.

Photography tips

Wires and branches are the easiest place for a steady view, since it often rests there and tolerates people. Roof eaves where it nests are another good spot for close looks.