Mystery Bird: Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor

Tree Swallow - dark blue top with white underneath. Long, pointed wings that end even with the tail.

Yeah, I can't see anything here that I can convince myself is anything other than a tree swallow. The more colorful ones look like adults; the drabber ones like juveniles.

There's something about the picture that's asking for a caption. I think the one looking at the camera is saying "We're not African or European".

There's something about the picture that's asking for a caption.

The bird looking at the camera is saying, "Oh hi! Just hangin with my peeps."

Tree Swallows on a cloudy day. They have bluish top (wings/back) and white underside (belly/chin); forked tail. If the sun was shining, it would reflect the telltale shimmering blue color of the mature adults...

this photograph was snapped on 1 May -- the birds are probably migrating through texas to their final destinations. so i don't think any of the birds in that pic are fledglings, but they can be either (1) female or (2) last year's young -- do you have any thoughts about which situation you are seeing here?

As one who used to band Tree Swallows, I can answer your questions. Since Devorah has indicated the picture was taken on May 1, these birds are on their northward migration. The bird looking at the camera is a Second Year (SY) female, meaning she was hatched last year and is entering her first breeding season. She will have a dull grayish plumage until her next molt, although many SY females do have a few blue or greenish-blue feathers.