Swallow
Encyclopedia
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine
bird
s in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Swallow is used colloquially in Europe
as a synonym for the Barn Swallow
.
This family comprises two subfamilies: Pseudochelidoninae (the river martin
s of the genus Pseudochelidon) and Hirundininae (all other swallows and martins). Within the Hirundininae, the name "martin" tends to be used for the squarer-tailed species, and the name "swallow" for the more fork-tailed species; however, there is no scientific distinction between these two groups. The family contains around 83 species in 19 genera
.
The swallows have a cosmopolitan distribution
across the world and breed on all the continents except Antarctica. It is believed that this family originated in Africa
as hole-nesters; Africa still has the greatest diversity of species. They also occur on a number of oceanic islands. A number of European and North American species are long-distance migrants
; by contrast, the West and South African swallows are non-migratory. A few species of swallow and martin are threatened with extinction
by human activities, although other species have benefited from human changes to the environment and live around humans.
s. Swallows have adapted to hunting insects on the wing by developing a slender streamlined body and long pointed wings, which allow great maneuverability and endurance, as well as frequent periods of gliding. Their body shape allows for very efficient flight
, which costs
50-75% less for swallows than equivalent passerines of the same size. Swallows usually forage at around 30–40 km/h, although they are capable of reaching speeds of between 50–65 km/h when traveling.
Like the unrelated swift
s and nightjar
s, which hunt in a similar way, they have short bills, but strong jaws and a wide gape. Their body length ranges from about 10–24 cm (3.9–9.4 in) and their weight from about 10–60 g (0.35273962105112–2.1 oz). The wings are long, pointed, and have nine primary feathers. The tail has 12 feathers and may be deeply forked, somewhat indented, or square-ended. A long tail increases maneuverability, and may also function as a sexual adornment, since the tail is frequently longer in males. In Barn Swallow
s the tail of the male is 18% longer than the females, and females will select mates on the basis of tail length.
The legs are short, and their feet are adapted for perching rather than walking, as the front toes are partially joined at the base. Swallows are capable of walking and even running, but they do so with a shuffling, waddling gait. The leg muscles of the river martins (Pseudochelidon) are stronger and more robust than those of other swallows.
The most common hirundine plumage is glossy dark blue or green above and plain or streaked underparts, often white or rufous. Species which burrow
or live in dry or mountainous areas are often matte brown above (e.g. Sand Martin
and Crag Martin
). The sexes show limited or no sexual dimorphism
, with longer outer tail feathers in the adult male probably being the most common distinction.
The chicks hatch naked and with closed eyes. Fledged juveniles usually appear as duller versions of the adult.
, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. One species, the Pacific Swallow
, occurs as a breeding bird on a number of oceanic islands in the Pacific Ocean
, the Mascarene Martin
breeds on Reunion and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean
, and a number of migratory
species are common vagrants to other isolated islands and even to some sub-Antarctic islands. Many species have enormous worldwide ranges, particularly the Barn Swallow
, which breeds over most of the Northern Hemisphere
and winters over most of the Southern Hemisphere
.
The family uses a wide range of habitats. They are dependent on flying insects and as these are common over waterways and lakes they will frequently feed over these, but they can be found in any open habitat including grasslands, open woodland, savanna, marshes, mangroves and scrubland, from sea level
to high alpine areas. Many species inhabit human-altered landscapes including agricultural land and even urban areas. Land use changes have also caused some species to expand their range, most impressively the Welcome Swallow
which began to colonise New Zealand
in the 1920s, started breeding in the 1950s and is now a common landbird there.
Species breeding in temperate regions migrate
during the winter when their insect prey populations collapse. Species breeding in more tropical areas are often more sedentary, although several tropical species are partial migrants or make shorter migrations. In antiquity
it was thought that swallows hibernated in a state of torpor
, even that they withdrew for the winter under water. Aristotle
ascribed hibernation not only to swallows, but also to storks and kites. Hibernation of swallows was considered a possibility even by as acute an observer as Rev. Gilbert White
, in his The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne
(1789, based on decades of observations). This idea may have been supported by the habit of some species to roost in some numbers in dovecotes, nests and other forms of shelter during harsh weather, even apparently entering torpor.
Swallows are excellent flyers, and use these skills to feed and attract a mate. Some species, like the Mangrove Swallow
, are territorial
, whereas others are not and simply defend their nesting site. In general, the males select a nest site, and then attract a female using song and flight, and (dependent on the species) guard their territory. The size of the territory varies depending on the species of swallow; in colonial-nesting
species it tends to be small, but it may be much larger for solitary nesters. Outside of the breeding season some species may form large flocks, and species may also roost communally. This is thought to provide protection from predators such as sparrowhawks
and hobbies
. These roosts can be enormous; one winter roosting site of Barn Swallow
s in Nigeria attracted 1.5 million individuals. Non-social species do not form flocks, but recently fledged chicks may remain with their parents for a while after the breeding season. If a human being gets too close to their territory, swallows will attack them within the perimeter of the nest.
s and wasp
s are generally avoided. In addition to insect prey a number of species will occasionally consume fruits and other plant matter. Species in Africa have been recorded eating the seeds of Acacia
trees, and these are even fed to the young of the Greater Striped Swallow
.
The swallows generally forage for prey that is on the wing, but they will on occasion snap prey off branches or on the ground. The flight may be fast and involve a rapid succession of turns and banks when actively chasing fast moving prey; less agile prey may be caught with a slower more leisurely flight that includes flying in circles and bursts of flapping mixed with gliding. Where several species of swallow feed together they will be separated into different niches based on height off the ground, some species feeding closer to the ground and others feeding at higher levels. Similar separation occurs where feeding overlaps with swift
s. Niche separation may also occur with the size of prey chosen.
The more primitive species nest in existing cavities, for example in an old woodpecker
nest, while other species excavate burrows in soft substrate such as sand banks. Swallows in the genera Hirundo, Ptyonoproggne, Cecropis, Petrochelidon and Delichon build mud nests close to overhead shelter in locations that are protected from both the weather and predators. The mud-nesters are most common in the Old World
, particularly Africa
, whereas cavity-nesters are the rule in the New World
. Mud nesting species in particular are limited in areas of high humidity, which causes the mud nests to crumble. Many cave, bank and cliff dwelling species of swallow nest in large colonies. Mud nests are constructed by both males and females, and amongst the tunnel diggers the excavation duties are shared as well. In historical
times, the introduction of man-made stone structures such as barns and bridges, together with forest clearance, has led to an abundance of colony sites around the globe, significantly increasing the breeding ranges of some species. Birds living in large colonies typically have to contend with both ectoparasite
s and conspecific nest parasitism
. Old males benefit most from coloniality, since they are able to maintain their own nests and benefit from frequent extra-pair copulations.
Pairs of mated swallows are monogamous, and pairs of non-migratory species often stay near their breeding area all year, though the nest site is defended most vigorously during the breeding season. Migratory species often return to the same breeding area each year, and may select the same nest site if they were previously successful in that location. First-year breeders generally select a nesting site close to where they were born and raised. The breeding of temperate species is seasonal, whereas that of subtropical or tropical species can either be continuous throughout the year or seasonal. Seasonal species in the subtropics or tropics are usually timed to coincide with the peaks in insect activity, which is usually the wet season, but some species like the White-throated Blue Swallow
nest in the dry season to avoid flooding in their riverbank nesting habitat. All swallows will defend their nests from egg predators, although solitary species are more aggressive towards predators than colonial species. Overall the contribution of male swallows towards parental care is the highest of any passerine
bird.
The eggs
of swallows tend to be white, although those of some mud-nesters are speckled. The average clutch
size is around four to five eggs in temperate areas and two to three eggs in the tropics. The incubation
duties are shared in some species, in others the eggs are incubated solely by the females. Amongst the species where the male helps with incubation the contribution varies amongst species, with some species like the Cliff Swallow
sharing the duties equally and the female doing most of the work in others. Amongst the Barn Swallows the male of the American subspecies helps (to a small extent) whereas the European subspecies does not. Even in species where the male does not incubate the eggs the male may sit on them when the female is away to reduce heat loss. Incubation stints last for 5–15 minutes and are followed by bursts of feeding activity. From laying, swallow eggs take between 10–21 days to hatch, with 14–18 days being more typical.
The chicks of swallows hatch naked, generally with only a few tufts of down. The eyes are closed and do not fully open for up to 10 days. The feathers take a few days to begin to sprout, and the chicks are brooded by the parents until they are able to thermoregulate. On the whole they develop slowly compared to other passerine birds. The parents do not usually feed the chicks individual insects but instead a bolus of food comprising ten to a hundred insects. Regardless of whether the species has males that incubate or brood the chicks the males of all swallows and martins will help feed the chicks. It is difficult to judge when swallows and martins fledge
, as they will be enticed out of the nest after three weeks by parents but frequently return to the nest afterwards in order to roost.
Swallows are tolerated by humans because of their beneficial role as insect-eaters, and some species have readily adapted to nesting in and around human habitation. The Barn Swallow
and House Martin
now rarely use natural sites. The Purple Martin
is also
actively encouraged by people to nest around humans and elaborate nest boxes are erected. Enough artificial nesting sites have been created that the Purple Martin now seldom nests in natural cavities in the eastern part of its range.
Because of the long human experience with these conspicuous species, many myths and legends have arisen as a consequence, particularly relating to the Barn Swallow
. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder
described a use of painted swallows to deliver a report of the winning horses at a race. During the nineteenth century, Jean Desbouvrie
attempted to tame swallows and train them for use as messenger birds, as an alternative to war pigeon
s. He succeeded in curbing the migratory instinct in young birds and persuaded the government of France to conduct initial testing, but stalled further experimentation. Subsequent attempts to train homing behaviour into swallows and other passerines had difficulty establishing a statistically significant success rate, although the birds have been known to trap themselves repeatedly in order to obtain bait from traps.
are generally endangered due to habitat loss. This is presumed to be the reason behind the decline of the critically endangered
White-eyed River Martin
, a species that is only known from a few specimens collected in Thailand
. The species presumably breeds in riverbanks, a much diminished habitat in SE Asia. Two insular species, the Bahama Swallow
and Golden Swallow
, have declined due to forest loss and also competition with introduced species
such as starlings as sparrows, which compete with these swallows for nesting sites. The Golden Swallow formerly bred on the island of Jamaica
, but was last seen there in 1989 and is now restricted to the island of Hispaniola
.
s (a large wastebin taxon
that has recently been split into several new families), the white-eye
s and the tits. Under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
they have been placed in the infraorder Passerida
.
Within the family there is a clear division between the two subfamilies, the Pseudochelidoninae which is composed of the two species of river martins, and the Hirundininae, into which the remaining 81 species are placed. The division of the Hirundininae has been the source of much discussion, with various taxonomists variously splitting them into as many as 24 genera and lumping them into just 12. There is some agreement that there are three core groups within then Hirundininae, the saw-wings of the genus Psalidoprocne
, the core martins and the swallows of the genus Hirundo
and their allies.
FAMILY: HIRUNDINIDAE
Two famous World War II
Axis fighters took their name from the swallow, and remain famous for both their speed and beauty:
BOAC
used a highly stylised swallow (or perhaps, a bluebird
) specifically for its 'Speedbird' trans-atlantic services.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Swallow is used colloquially in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as a synonym for the Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
.
This family comprises two subfamilies: Pseudochelidoninae (the river martin
River martin
The river martins form a distinctive subfamily Pseudochelidoninae within the swallow and martin bird family Hirundinidae. The two species are the African River Martin Pseudochelidon eurystomina, found in the Congo and Gabon, and the White-eyed River Martin Pseudochelidon sirintarae, known only from...
s of the genus Pseudochelidon) and Hirundininae (all other swallows and martins). Within the Hirundininae, the name "martin" tends to be used for the squarer-tailed species, and the name "swallow" for the more fork-tailed species; however, there is no scientific distinction between these two groups. The family contains around 83 species in 19 genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
.
The swallows have a cosmopolitan distribution
Cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
across the world and breed on all the continents except Antarctica. It is believed that this family originated in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as hole-nesters; Africa still has the greatest diversity of species. They also occur on a number of oceanic islands. A number of European and North American species are long-distance migrants
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
; by contrast, the West and South African swallows are non-migratory. A few species of swallow and martin are threatened with extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
by human activities, although other species have benefited from human changes to the environment and live around humans.
Description
The swallows and martins have an evolutionary conservative body shape which is similar across the family but is unlike that of other passerinePasserine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
s. Swallows have adapted to hunting insects on the wing by developing a slender streamlined body and long pointed wings, which allow great maneuverability and endurance, as well as frequent periods of gliding. Their body shape allows for very efficient flight
Bird flight
Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the world's bird species. Flight assists birds while feeding, breeding and avoiding predators....
, which costs
Energetics
Energetics is the study of energy under transformation. Because energy flows at all scales, from the quantum level to the biosphere and cosmos, energetics is a very broad discipline, encompassing for example thermodynamics, chemistry, biological energetics, biochemistry and ecological energetics...
50-75% less for swallows than equivalent passerines of the same size. Swallows usually forage at around 30–40 km/h, although they are capable of reaching speeds of between 50–65 km/h when traveling.
Swift
The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...
s and nightjar
Nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...
s, which hunt in a similar way, they have short bills, but strong jaws and a wide gape. Their body length ranges from about 10–24 cm (3.9–9.4 in) and their weight from about 10–60 g (0.35273962105112–2.1 oz). The wings are long, pointed, and have nine primary feathers. The tail has 12 feathers and may be deeply forked, somewhat indented, or square-ended. A long tail increases maneuverability, and may also function as a sexual adornment, since the tail is frequently longer in males. In Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
s the tail of the male is 18% longer than the females, and females will select mates on the basis of tail length.
The legs are short, and their feet are adapted for perching rather than walking, as the front toes are partially joined at the base. Swallows are capable of walking and even running, but they do so with a shuffling, waddling gait. The leg muscles of the river martins (Pseudochelidon) are stronger and more robust than those of other swallows.
The most common hirundine plumage is glossy dark blue or green above and plain or streaked underparts, often white or rufous. Species which burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
or live in dry or mountainous areas are often matte brown above (e.g. Sand Martin
Sand Martin
The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
and Crag Martin
Crag Martin
The Eurasian Crag Martin or just Crag Martin is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It is about 14 cm long with ash-brown upperparts and paler underparts, and a short, square tail that has distinctive white patches on most of its feathers. It breeds in the mountains of southern...
). The sexes show limited or no sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, with longer outer tail feathers in the adult male probably being the most common distinction.
The chicks hatch naked and with closed eyes. Fledged juveniles usually appear as duller versions of the adult.
Range, habitat and migration
The swallows and martins have a worldwide cosmopolitan distributionCosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. One species, the Pacific Swallow
Pacific Swallow
The Pacific Swallow or Hill Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka across to south east Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements...
, occurs as a breeding bird on a number of oceanic islands in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, the Mascarene Martin
Mascarene Martin
The Mascarene Martin is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Seychelles, and Tanzania.-References:...
breeds on Reunion and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, and a number of migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
species are common vagrants to other isolated islands and even to some sub-Antarctic islands. Many species have enormous worldwide ranges, particularly the Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
, which breeds over most of the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
and winters over most of the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
.
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
to high alpine areas. Many species inhabit human-altered landscapes including agricultural land and even urban areas. Land use changes have also caused some species to expand their range, most impressively the Welcome Swallow
Welcome Swallow
The Welcome Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.It is a species native to Australia and nearby islands, but not until recently to New Zealand, which has been colonised in the last half century...
which began to colonise New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the 1920s, started breeding in the 1950s and is now a common landbird there.
Species breeding in temperate regions migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
during the winter when their insect prey populations collapse. Species breeding in more tropical areas are often more sedentary, although several tropical species are partial migrants or make shorter migrations. In antiquity
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
it was thought that swallows hibernated in a state of torpor
Torpor
Torpor, sometimes called temporary hibernation is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually characterized by a reduced body temperature and rate of metabolism. Animals that go through torpor include birds and some mammals such as mice and bats...
, even that they withdrew for the winter under water. Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
ascribed hibernation not only to swallows, but also to storks and kites. Hibernation of swallows was considered a possibility even by as acute an observer as Rev. Gilbert White
Gilbert White
Gilbert White FRS was a pioneering English naturalist and ornithologist.-Life:White was born in his grandfather's vicarage at Selborne in Hampshire. He was educated at the Holy Ghost School and by a private tutor in Basingstoke before going to Oriel College, Oxford...
, in his The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne
The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne
The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, or just The Natural History of Selborne is a book by pioneering English naturalist and ornithologist Gilbert White first published in 1789...
(1789, based on decades of observations). This idea may have been supported by the habit of some species to roost in some numbers in dovecotes, nests and other forms of shelter during harsh weather, even apparently entering torpor.
Behaviour
Mangrove Swallow
The Mangrove Swallow, Tachycineta albilinea, is a passerine bird that breeds in coastal regions from Mexico through Central America to Panama. It is non-migratory, but may make seasonal movements....
, are territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
, whereas others are not and simply defend their nesting site. In general, the males select a nest site, and then attract a female using song and flight, and (dependent on the species) guard their territory. The size of the territory varies depending on the species of swallow; in colonial-nesting
Bird colony
A bird colony is a large congregation of individuals of one or more species of bird that nest or roost in close proximity at a particular location. Many kinds of birds are known to congregate in groups of varying size; a congregation of nesting birds is called a breeding colony...
species it tends to be small, but it may be much larger for solitary nesters. Outside of the breeding season some species may form large flocks, and species may also roost communally. This is thought to provide protection from predators such as sparrowhawks
Accipiter
The genus Accipiter is a group of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, many of which are named as goshawks and sparrowhawks. They can be anatomically distinguished from their relatives by the lack of a procoracoid foramen. Two small and aberrant species usually placed here do possess a large...
and hobbies
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
. These roosts can be enormous; one winter roosting site of Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
s in Nigeria attracted 1.5 million individuals. Non-social species do not form flocks, but recently fledged chicks may remain with their parents for a while after the breeding season. If a human being gets too close to their territory, swallows will attack them within the perimeter of the nest.
Diet and feeding
For the most part swallows are insectivorous, taking flying insects on the wing. Across the whole family a wide range of insects are taken from most insect groups, but the composition of any one prey type in the diet varies by species and with the time of year. Individual species may be selective, they do not scoop up every insect around them, but instead select larger prey items than would be expected by random sampling. In addition the ease of capture of different insect types affects their rate of predation by swallows. They also avoid certain prey types; in particular stinging insects such as beeBee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s and wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s are generally avoided. In addition to insect prey a number of species will occasionally consume fruits and other plant matter. Species in Africa have been recorded eating the seeds of Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
trees, and these are even fed to the young of the Greater Striped Swallow
Greater Striped Swallow
The Greater Striped Swallow is a large swallow. It breeds in southern Africa, mainly in South Africa, Namibia and southern Zimbabwe. It is migratory wintering further north in Angola, Tanzania and southern Zaire.This is a bird of dry open country, such as grassland, and has a preference for hills...
.
The swallows generally forage for prey that is on the wing, but they will on occasion snap prey off branches or on the ground. The flight may be fast and involve a rapid succession of turns and banks when actively chasing fast moving prey; less agile prey may be caught with a slower more leisurely flight that includes flying in circles and bursts of flapping mixed with gliding. Where several species of swallow feed together they will be separated into different niches based on height off the ground, some species feeding closer to the ground and others feeding at higher levels. Similar separation occurs where feeding overlaps with swift
Swift
The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...
s. Niche separation may also occur with the size of prey chosen.
Breeding
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
nest, while other species excavate burrows in soft substrate such as sand banks. Swallows in the genera Hirundo, Ptyonoproggne, Cecropis, Petrochelidon and Delichon build mud nests close to overhead shelter in locations that are protected from both the weather and predators. The mud-nesters are most common in the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
, particularly Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, whereas cavity-nesters are the rule in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. Mud nesting species in particular are limited in areas of high humidity, which causes the mud nests to crumble. Many cave, bank and cliff dwelling species of swallow nest in large colonies. Mud nests are constructed by both males and females, and amongst the tunnel diggers the excavation duties are shared as well. In historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
times, the introduction of man-made stone structures such as barns and bridges, together with forest clearance, has led to an abundance of colony sites around the globe, significantly increasing the breeding ranges of some species. Birds living in large colonies typically have to contend with both ectoparasite
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
s and conspecific nest parasitism
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
. Old males benefit most from coloniality, since they are able to maintain their own nests and benefit from frequent extra-pair copulations.
White-throated Blue Swallow
The White-bibbed Swallow , also known as the White-throated Blue Swallow, is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family...
nest in the dry season to avoid flooding in their riverbank nesting habitat. All swallows will defend their nests from egg predators, although solitary species are more aggressive towards predators than colonial species. Overall the contribution of male swallows towards parental care is the highest of any passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird.
The eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
of swallows tend to be white, although those of some mud-nesters are speckled. The average clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
size is around four to five eggs in temperate areas and two to three eggs in the tropics. The incubation
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
duties are shared in some species, in others the eggs are incubated solely by the females. Amongst the species where the male helps with incubation the contribution varies amongst species, with some species like the Cliff Swallow
Cliff Swallow
The Cliff Swallow is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae — the swallows and martins.It breeds in North America, and is migratory, wintering in western South America from Venezuela southwards to northeast Argentina...
sharing the duties equally and the female doing most of the work in others. Amongst the Barn Swallows the male of the American subspecies helps (to a small extent) whereas the European subspecies does not. Even in species where the male does not incubate the eggs the male may sit on them when the female is away to reduce heat loss. Incubation stints last for 5–15 minutes and are followed by bursts of feeding activity. From laying, swallow eggs take between 10–21 days to hatch, with 14–18 days being more typical.
The chicks of swallows hatch naked, generally with only a few tufts of down. The eyes are closed and do not fully open for up to 10 days. The feathers take a few days to begin to sprout, and the chicks are brooded by the parents until they are able to thermoregulate. On the whole they develop slowly compared to other passerine birds. The parents do not usually feed the chicks individual insects but instead a bolus of food comprising ten to a hundred insects. Regardless of whether the species has males that incubate or brood the chicks the males of all swallows and martins will help feed the chicks. It is difficult to judge when swallows and martins fledge
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
, as they will be enticed out of the nest after three weeks by parents but frequently return to the nest afterwards in order to roost.
Calls
Swallows are able to produce many different calls or songs, which are used to express excitement, to communicate with others of the same species, during courtship, or as an alarm when a predator is in the area. The songs of males are related to the body condition of the bird and are presumably used by females to judge the physical condition and suitability for mating of males. Begging calls are used by the young when soliciting food from their parents. The typical song of swallows is a simple, sometimes musical twittering.Relationship with humans
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
and House Martin
House Martin
The Common House Martin , sometimes called the Northern House Martin or, particularly in Europe, just House Martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia...
now rarely use natural sites. The Purple Martin
Purple Martin
The Purple Martin is the largest North American swallow. These aerial acrobats have speed and agility in flight, and when approaching their housing, will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked.-Description and taxonomy:...
is also
actively encouraged by people to nest around humans and elaborate nest boxes are erected. Enough artificial nesting sites have been created that the Purple Martin now seldom nests in natural cavities in the eastern part of its range.
Because of the long human experience with these conspicuous species, many myths and legends have arisen as a consequence, particularly relating to the Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
described a use of painted swallows to deliver a report of the winning horses at a race. During the nineteenth century, Jean Desbouvrie
Jean Desbouvrie
Jean Desbouvrie was a French amateur bird trainer who believed that swallows could be put to use for military communications. During the late 19th century Desbouvrie persuaded the government of France to conduct a study on the feasibility of using swallows as messengers...
attempted to tame swallows and train them for use as messenger birds, as an alternative to war pigeon
War pigeon
Pigeons have long played an important role in war. Due to their homing ability, speed, and altitude, they were often used as military messengers. After World War II, they ceased being used.- Nineteenth century :...
s. He succeeded in curbing the migratory instinct in young birds and persuaded the government of France to conduct initial testing, but stalled further experimentation. Subsequent attempts to train homing behaviour into swallows and other passerines had difficulty establishing a statistically significant success rate, although the birds have been known to trap themselves repeatedly in order to obtain bait from traps.
Threats and conservation
Species of swallow and martin that are threatened with extinctionExtinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
are generally endangered due to habitat loss. This is presumed to be the reason behind the decline of the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
White-eyed River Martin
White-eyed River Martin
The White-eyed River Martin is a passerine bird, one of only two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family Hirundinidae...
, a species that is only known from a few specimens collected in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The species presumably breeds in riverbanks, a much diminished habitat in SE Asia. Two insular species, the Bahama Swallow
Bahama Swallow
The Bahama Swallow is a swallow found only in the Bahamas.-Physical description:This glossy Tachycineta swallow has a green head and back, blue upper wings, a black tail and wingtips, and a white belly and chin....
and Golden Swallow
Golden Swallow (bird)
The Golden Swallow is a swallow. The Golden Swallow formerly bred on the island of Jamaica, but was last seen there in 1989 and is now restricted to the island of Hispaniola.-References:*...
, have declined due to forest loss and also competition with introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
such as starlings as sparrows, which compete with these swallows for nesting sites. The Golden Swallow formerly bred on the island of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, but was last seen there in 1989 and is now restricted to the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
.
Taxonomy and systematics
The swallows and martins are morphologically unique within the passerines, but the use of DNA-DNA hybridization studies has suggested relationships with the Old World warblerOld World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
s (a large wastebin taxon
Wastebin taxon
Wastebasket taxon is a term used in some taxonomic circles to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined by their lack of one or more distinct character states or by their not belonging to one or more other taxa...
that has recently been split into several new families), the white-eye
White-eye
White-eye can refer to:*White-eye , a large family of birds.*White-eye , a species of fish.*White-eye mutation, a mutation in Drosophila melanogaster linked to the X chromosome, found by reciprocal cross breeding experiments in 1906.*A lioness member of the Marsh Pride of lions that have featured...
s and the tits. Under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a bird taxonomy proposed by Charles Sibley and Jon Edward Ahlquist. It is based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies conducted in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s....
they have been placed in the infraorder Passerida
Passerida
Passerida is under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two "parvorders" contained within the suborder Passeri...
.
Within the family there is a clear division between the two subfamilies, the Pseudochelidoninae which is composed of the two species of river martins, and the Hirundininae, into which the remaining 81 species are placed. The division of the Hirundininae has been the source of much discussion, with various taxonomists variously splitting them into as many as 24 genera and lumping them into just 12. There is some agreement that there are three core groups within then Hirundininae, the saw-wings of the genus Psalidoprocne
Psalidoprocne
The saw-wings, Psalidoprocne, is a small genus of passerine birds in the swallow family. The common name of this group is derived from the rough outer edge of the outer primary feather on the wing, which is rough due to recurved barbs. The function of this is unknown. The birds are 11–17 cm...
, the core martins and the swallows of the genus Hirundo
Hirundo
The bird genus Hirundo is a group of passerines in the family Hirundinidae . These are the typical swallows, including the widespread Barn Swallow. Many of this group have blue backs, red on the face and sometimes the rump or nape, and whitish or rufous underparts...
and their allies.
Species in taxonomic order
- Subfamily: Pseudochelidoninae (river martins)
- Genus: PseudochelidonRiver martinThe river martins form a distinctive subfamily Pseudochelidoninae within the swallow and martin bird family Hirundinidae. The two species are the African River Martin Pseudochelidon eurystomina, found in the Congo and Gabon, and the White-eyed River Martin Pseudochelidon sirintarae, known only from...
- African River MartinAfrican River MartinThe African River Martin is a passerine bird, one of two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is a medium-sized, mainly black-plumaged species with red eyes, a broad orange-red bill and a square tail...
Pseudochelidon eurystomina - White-eyed River MartinWhite-eyed River MartinThe White-eyed River Martin is a passerine bird, one of only two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family Hirundinidae...
Pseudochelidon sirintarae
- African River Martin
- Genus: Pseudochelidon
- Subfamily Hirundininae (all other swallows & martins)
- Genus: PsalidoprocnePsalidoprocneThe saw-wings, Psalidoprocne, is a small genus of passerine birds in the swallow family. The common name of this group is derived from the rough outer edge of the outer primary feather on the wing, which is rough due to recurved barbs. The function of this is unknown. The birds are 11–17 cm...
(saw-wings)- Square-tailed Saw-wing Psalidoprocne nitens
- Mountain Saw-wing Psalidoprocne fuliginosa
- White-headed Saw-wing Psalidoprocne albiceps
- Black Saw-wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera
- Fanti Saw-wing Psalidoprocne obscura
- Genus: Pseudhirundo
- Grey-rumped SwallowGrey-rumped SwallowThe Grey-rumped Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,...
Pseudhirundo griseopyga
- Grey-rumped Swallow
- Genus: Cheramoeca
- White-backed SwallowWhite-backed SwallowThe White-backed Swallow is a bird in the Hirundinidae family endemic to Australia. It is monotypic within the genus Cheramoeca.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
Cheramoeca leucosternus
- White-backed Swallow
- Genus: PhedinaPhedinaPhedina is a small genus of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It contains the following two species:* Mascarene Martin * Brazza's Martin...
- Mascarene MartinMascarene MartinThe Mascarene Martin is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Seychelles, and Tanzania.-References:...
Phedina borbonica - Brazza's MartinBrazza's MartinBrazza's Martin is a songbird species in the family Hirundinidae. It is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, and Democratic Republic of the Congo....
Phedina brazzae
- Mascarene Martin
- Genus: RipariaRipariaRiparia is a small genus of passerine birds in the swallow family. There are five species. In taxonomic order, they are:* Riparia paludicola – Brown-throated Sand Martin - * Riparia congica – Congo Sand Martin -...
- Brown-throated Sand MartinBrown-throated Sand MartinThe Brown-throated Sand Martin, Brown-throated Martin or Plain Martin, Riparia paludicola, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family...
Riparia paludicola - Congo Sand MartinCongo Sand MartinThe Congo Sand Martin, Riparia congica, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.It occurs only along the Congo River and its tributary, the Ubangi...
Riparia congica - Sand MartinSand MartinThe Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
Riparia riparia - Pale Martin Riparia diluta
- Banded MartinBanded MartinThe Banded Martin or Banded Sand Martin, Riparia cincta, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.The Banded Martin is found in open habitats such as farmland, grassland and savannah, usually near water...
Riparia cincta
- Brown-throated Sand Martin
- Genus: TachycinetaTachycinetaTachycineta is a genus of birds in the swallow family. There are nine described species. Its members are restricted to the Americas....
- Tree SwallowTree SwallowThe Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, is a migratory passerine bird that breeds in North America and winters in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe....
Tachycineta bicolor - Violet-green SwallowViolet-green SwallowThe Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina, is a small North American swallow.Their breeding habitat is semi-open areas in western North America from Alaska to Mexico...
Tachycineta thalassina - Golden SwallowGolden Swallow (bird)The Golden Swallow is a swallow. The Golden Swallow formerly bred on the island of Jamaica, but was last seen there in 1989 and is now restricted to the island of Hispaniola.-References:*...
Tachycineta euchrysea - Bahama SwallowBahama SwallowThe Bahama Swallow is a swallow found only in the Bahamas.-Physical description:This glossy Tachycineta swallow has a green head and back, blue upper wings, a black tail and wingtips, and a white belly and chin....
Tachycineta cyaneoviridis - Tumbes SwallowTumbes SwallowThe Tumbes Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Ecuador and Peru.Its natural habitats are dry savanna, coastal saline lagoons, and arable land.-References:...
Tachycineta stolzmanni - Mangrove SwallowMangrove SwallowThe Mangrove Swallow, Tachycineta albilinea, is a passerine bird that breeds in coastal regions from Mexico through Central America to Panama. It is non-migratory, but may make seasonal movements....
Tachycineta albilinea - White-winged SwallowWhite-winged SwallowThe White-winged Swallow, Tachycineta albiventer, is a resident breeding bird in tropical South America from Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south to northern Argentina...
Tachycineta albiventer - White-rumped SwallowWhite-rumped SwallowThe White-rumped Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It was first formally described as Hirundo leucorrhoa by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in 1817 in his Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay...
Tachycineta leucorrhoa - Chilean SwallowChilean SwallowThe Chilean Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It breeds in Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands with southern birds migrating north as far as Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and possibly Peru....
Tachycineta meyeni
- Tree Swallow
- Genus: ProgneProgneProgne is a genus of birds. It contains the nine American blue martins. The genus includes the largest-bodied species of swallow.Species:*Purple Martin Progne subis*Caribbean Martin Progne dominicensis*Cuban Martin Progne cryptoleuca...
- Purple MartinPurple MartinThe Purple Martin is the largest North American swallow. These aerial acrobats have speed and agility in flight, and when approaching their housing, will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked.-Description and taxonomy:...
Progne subis - Cuban MartinCuban MartinThe Cuban Martin, Progne cryptoleuca, is a large swallow endemic to Cuba.It is closely related to the Caribbean Martin, P. dominicensis which breeds on Caribbean islands from Jamaica east to Tobago, and the P. d...
Progne cryptoleuca - Caribbean MartinCaribbean MartinThe Caribbean Martin or White-bellied Martin, Progne dominicensis, is a large swallow.It breeds on Caribbean islands from Jamaica east to Tobago. It is closely related to 2 species to which it formerly was considered conspecific-P. sinaloae and P. cryptoleuca...
Progne dominicensis - Sinaloa MartinSinaloa MartinThe Sinaloa Martin is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It breeds semicolonially in sheer cliff faces within pine-oak forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental of western Mexico. Presumed migrant records also come from Belize and Guatemala. It is assumed to winter in South America....
Progne sinaloae - Grey-breasted Martin Progne chalybea
- Galapagos MartinGalápagos MartinThe Galápagos Martin is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family endemic to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, pastureland, and heavily degraded former...
Progne modesta - Peruvian MartinPeruvian MartinThe Peruvian Martin is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It is found in Chile and Peru.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude...
Progne murphyi - Southern MartinSouthern MartinThe Southern Martin is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay....
Progne elegans - Brown-chested MartinBrown-chested MartinThe Brown-chested Martin is a species of passerine bird in the swallow family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and is a vagrant to Chile and...
Progne tapera
- Purple Martin
- Genus: NotiochelidonNotiochelidonNotiochelidon is a genus of birds in the Hirundinidae family. Member species are found in South America, and with some species, Central America and Mexico.It contains the following four species:* Brown-bellied Swallow...
- Brown-bellied SwallowBrown-bellied SwallowThe Brown-bellied Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and pastureland.-References:*...
Notiochelidon murina - Blue-and-white SwallowBlue-and-white SwallowThe Blue-and-white Swallow is a passerine bird that breeds from Nicaragua south throughout South America, except in the deserts and the Amazon Basin. The southern race is migratory, wintering as far north as Trinidad, where it is a regular visitor...
Notiochelidon cyanoleuca - Pale-footed SwallowPale-footed SwallowThe Pale-footed Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
Notiochelidon flavipes - Black-capped SwallowBlack-capped SwallowThe Black-capped Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico....
Notiochelidon pileata
- Brown-bellied Swallow
- Genus: Haplochelidon
- Andean SwallowAndean SwallowThe Andean Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Haplochelidon.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru....
Haplochelidon andecola
- Andean Swallow
- Genus: AtticoraAtticoraAtticora is a genus of bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. These species are found in South America.It contains the following two species:* White-banded Swallow * Black-collared Swallow...
- White-banded SwallowWhite-banded SwallowThe White-banded Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is rivers.-References:...
Atticora fasciata - Black-collared SwallowBlack-collared SwallowThe Black-collared Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is rivers....
Atticora melanoleuca
- White-banded Swallow
- Genus: Neochelidon
- White-thighed SwallowWhite-thighed SwallowThe White-thighed Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. Its genus, Neochelidon, is monotypic....
Neochelidon tibialis
- White-thighed Swallow
- Genus: StelgidopteryxStelgidopteryxStelgidopteryx is a small genus of swallows. It contains three species:* Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis, a migratory North America bird....
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowNorthern Rough-winged SwallowThe Northern Rough-winged Swallow is a small swallow.Adults are 13–15 cm in length, brown on top with light underparts and a forked tail. They are similar in appearance to the Bank Swallow but have a dusky throat and breast...
Stelgidopteryx serripennis - Southern Rough-winged SwallowSouthern Rough-winged SwallowThe Southern Rough-winged Swallow , Stelgidopteryx ruficollis, is a small swallow. It was first formally described as Hirundo ruficollis by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in 1817 in his Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle....
Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow
- Genus: Alopochelidon
- Tawny-headed SwallowTawny-headed SwallowThe Tawny-headed Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Alopochelidon....
Alopochelidon fucata
- Tawny-headed Swallow
- Genus: HirundoHirundoThe bird genus Hirundo is a group of passerines in the family Hirundinidae . These are the typical swallows, including the widespread Barn Swallow. Many of this group have blue backs, red on the face and sometimes the rump or nape, and whitish or rufous underparts...
- Barn SwallowBarn SwallowThe Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
Hirundo rustica - Red-chested SwallowRed-chested SwallowThe Red-chested Swallow is a small non-migratory passerine bird found in Africa in West Africa, the Congo basin and Ethiopia. It has a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings....
Hirundo lucida - Angolan Swallow Hirundo angolensis
- Pacific SwallowPacific SwallowThe Pacific Swallow or Hill Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka across to south east Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements...
Hirundo tahitica - Welcome SwallowWelcome SwallowThe Welcome Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.It is a species native to Australia and nearby islands, but not until recently to New Zealand, which has been colonised in the last half century...
Hirundo neoxena - White-throated SwallowWhite-throated SwallowThe White-throated Swallow is a small bird in the swallow family. It is a common species, found in southern Africa, which has benefited from the increased nesting opportunities presented by the construction of bridges and dams....
Hirundo albigularis - Ethiopian SwallowEthiopian SwallowThe Ethiopian Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Israel, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan,...
Hirundo aethiopica - Wire-tailed SwallowWire-tailed SwallowThe Wire-tailed Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. Swallows are somewhat similar in habits and appearance to other aerial insectivores, such as the related martins and the unrelated swifts ....
Hirundo smithii - White-throated Blue SwallowWhite-throated Blue SwallowThe White-bibbed Swallow , also known as the White-throated Blue Swallow, is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family...
Hirundo nigrita - Pied-winged SwallowPied-winged SwallowThe Pied-winged Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo....
Hirundo leucosoma - White-tailed SwallowWhite-tailed SwallowThe White-tailed Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is endemic to Ethiopia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.It is threatened by habitat loss....
Hirundo megaensis - Pearl-breasted SwallowPearl-breasted SwallowThe Pearl-breasted Swallow is a small swallow. It breeds in southern Africa from Angola, southern Zaire and Tanzania southwards. It is partially migratory with many birds from the south west of South Africa wintering further north....
Hirundo dimidiata - Montane Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea
- Black-and-rufous SwallowBlack-and-rufous SwallowThe Black-and-rufous Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
Hirundo nigrorufa
- Barn Swallow
- Genus: PtyonoprognePtyonoprogneThe crag martins are three species of small passerine birds in the genus Ptyonoprogne of the swallow family. They are the Eurasian Crag Martin , the Rock Martin and the Dusky Crag Martin . They are closely related to each other, and have formerly sometimes been considered to be one species...
- Crag MartinCrag MartinThe Eurasian Crag Martin or just Crag Martin is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It is about 14 cm long with ash-brown upperparts and paler underparts, and a short, square tail that has distinctive white patches on most of its feathers. It breeds in the mountains of southern...
Ptyonoprogne rupestris - Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula
- Dusky Crag MartinDusky Crag MartinThe Dusky Crag Martin is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It is about 13 cm long with a broad body and wings, and a short square tail that has small white patches near the tips of most of its feathers. This martin has sooty-brown upperparts and slightly paler underparts...
Ptyonoprogne concolor
- Crag Martin
- Genus: DelichonDelichonDelichon is a small genus of passerine birds that belongs to the swallow family and contains three species named as house martins. These are chunky, bull-headed and short-tailed birds, blackish-blue above with a contrasting white rump, and with white or grey underparts. They have feathering on the...
- House MartinHouse MartinThe Common House Martin , sometimes called the Northern House Martin or, particularly in Europe, just House Martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia...
Delichon urbicum - Asian House MartinAsian House MartinThe Asian House Martin is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family Hirundinidae. It has mainly blue-black upperparts, other than its white rump, and has pale grey underparts. Its three subspecies breed in the Himalayas and in central and eastern Asia, and spend the winter lower in the...
Delichon dasypus - Nepal House MartinNepal House MartinThe Nepal House Martin is a non-migratory passerine of the swallow family Hirundinidae. Its two subspecies breed in the Himalayas from northwestern India through Nepal to Burma, northern Vietnam, and just into China...
Delichon nipalense
- House Martin
- Genus: CecropisCecropisCecropis is a genus of large swallows found in Africa and tropical Asia. The Red-rumped Swallow's range also extends into southern Europe. This genus is frequently subsumed into the larger genus Hirundo.The species are:...
- Greater Striped SwallowGreater Striped SwallowThe Greater Striped Swallow is a large swallow. It breeds in southern Africa, mainly in South Africa, Namibia and southern Zimbabwe. It is migratory wintering further north in Angola, Tanzania and southern Zaire.This is a bird of dry open country, such as grassland, and has a preference for hills...
Cecropis cucullata - Lesser Striped SwallowLesser Striped SwallowThe Lesser Striped Swallow is a large swallow. It breeds in sub-Saharan Africa from Sierra Leone and southern Sudan south into eastern South Africa. It is partially migratory with South African birds wintering further north...
Cecropis abyssinica - Rufous-chested SwallowRufous-chested SwallowThe Rufous-chested Swallow , also known as the Red-breasted Swallow, is a large swallow. It breeds in equatorial Africa, although most common in the east. It is partially migratory, following the rains beyond the breeding range in the wet season.This is a bird of dry open country...
Cecropis semirufa - Mosque SwallowMosque SwallowThe Mosque Swallow is a large swallow. It is a resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa, although most common in the west. It does not migrate, but will follow the rains to some extent....
Cecropis senegalensis - Red-rumped SwallowRed-rumped SwallowThe Red-rumped Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in open hilly country of temperate southern Europe and Asia from Portugal and Spain to Japan, India and tropical Africa. The Indian and African birds are resident, but European and other Asian birds are migratory...
Cecropis daurica - Striated SwallowStriated SwallowThe Striated Swallow is a species of swallow found in open, often hilly areas, clearings and cultivation in South and Southeast Asia from northeastern India and Taiwan south to Timor...
Cecropis striolata - Rufous-bellied Swallow Cecropis badia
- Greater Striped Swallow
- Genus: PetrochelidonPetrochelidonPetrochelidon is a genus of birds known as cliff-nesting swallows.It contains the following species:-Species in taxonomic order:* Red-throated Cliff Swallow * Preuss's Cliff Swallow...
- Red-throated SwallowRed-throated SwallowThe Red-throated Cliff Swallow , also known as the Red-throated Swallow, is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Zambia....
Petrochelidon rufigula - Preuss's SwallowPreuss's SwallowPreuss's Cliff Swallow , also known as Preuss's Swallow, is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.-Distribution and habitat:...
Petrochelidon preussi - Red Sea SwallowRed Sea SwallowThe Red Sea Cliff Swallow , also known as the Red Sea Swallow, is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.-Distribution and habitat:...
Petrochelidon perdita - South African SwallowSouth African SwallowThe South African Cliff Swallow , also known as the South African Swallow, is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family...
Petrochelidon spilodera - Forest SwallowForest SwallowThe Forest Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria.-References:...
Petrochelidon fuliginosa - Streak-throated SwallowStreak-throated SwallowThe Streak-throated Swallow or the Indian Cliff Swallow is a species of swallow found in South Asia....
Petrochelidon fluvicola - Fairy MartinFairy MartinThe Fairy Martin is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds which breeds in Australia. It is migratory wintering through most of Australia, with some birds reaching New Guinea and Indonesia. It is increasing a wanderer to New Zealand, and may have bred. This species is frequently placed...
Petrochelidon ariel - Tree MartinTree MartinThe Tree Martin 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,...
Petrochelidon nigricans - Cliff SwallowCliff SwallowThe Cliff Swallow is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae — the swallows and martins.It breeds in North America, and is migratory, wintering in western South America from Venezuela southwards to northeast Argentina...
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota - Cave SwallowCave SwallowThe Cave Swallow, Petrochelidon fulva, is a medium-sized, squarish tailed swallow belonging to the same genus as the more familiar and widespread Cliff Swallow of North America...
Petrochelidon fulva - Chestnut-collared SwallowChestnut-collared SwallowThe Chestnut-collared Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are pastureland and heavily degraded former forest.-References:...
Petrochelidon rufocollaris
- Red-throated Swallow
- Genus: Psalidoprocne
Swallows in aeronautics
The swallow has been an influence in the world of aeronautical thought since antiquity, and an influence on modern aeronautics, in Europe in particular.Two famous World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Axis fighters took their name from the swallow, and remain famous for both their speed and beauty:
- The Me-262 Schwalbe, the world's first operational transonic jet fighter
- The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien, an Imperial Japanese Army fighter
BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
used a highly stylised swallow (or perhaps, a bluebird
Bluebird
The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family . Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and red, plumage...
) specifically for its 'Speedbird' trans-atlantic services.
Swallows in popular culture
- According to a sailing superstition, swallows are a good omen to those at sea. This probably arose from the fact that swallows are land-based birds, so their appearance informs a sailor that he is close to shore.
- An old term of venery for swallows is a "flight" or "sweep."
External links
- Swallows Nest Live Feed Live feed of a Swallows nest located in the Tipperary Institute, Tipperary Ireland.
- Swallow videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- The evolution of nest construction in swallows (Hirundinidae) is associated with the decrease of clutch size paper in Linzer Biologische Beiträge