---
title: "Tree Martin"
description: "Petrochelidon nigricans — Birds. The tree martin (Petrochelidon nigricans) is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/tree-martin
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Tree Martin

> Petrochelidon nigricans — Birds. The tree martin (Petrochelidon nigricans) is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds.

- Scientific name: *Petrochelidon nigricans*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest), `urban` (Towns & gardens), `savanna` (Savanna)
- iNaturalist observations: 2987
- Wikidata: [Q2668013](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668013)
- iNaturalist taxon: [144806](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/144806)

## Names

- en: Tree Martin
- de: Baumschwalbe
- es: Golondrina Arborícola
- fr: Hirondelle des arbres
- nl: Australische boomzwaluw
- pl: Jaskółka drzewna

## Countries with the most observations

AU (2680), TL (20), ID (3)

## Summary

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 on Timor island. 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.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_martin

## Photo

![Tree Martin](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/tree-martin/medium.jpg)

Photo: Jess Miller-Camp · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34857023

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/tree-martin?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).