Red-Rumped Swallow.
Hirundo rufula.
This and the two following species of swallow all have red rumps, but this species is not difficult to distinguish.
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Red-Rumped Swallow. Hirundo rufula. This and the two following species of swallow all have red rumps, but this species is not difficult to distinguish. |
| Recognition: Red, not only on the rump, but also across the back of the neck. All remaining upperparts glossy blue-black. The underparts from chin to vent nearly pure white but underside of the tail black. This obvious change from white to black at the base of the tail is distinctive for the species. The red colour is very pale in young birds. |
| Distribution: Throughout the drier parts of West Africa, and subject to local migration. |
| Habits: Sometimes met with huge flocks, particularly in the valleys of large rivers, congregating where the river-bed is no more than damp during the dry season. Perches on wires and often roosts inside houses. Nests are made in the dry season. They are often placed beneath an overhanging river bank or below a bridge, and made of mud-pellets. They are flask-shaped with long entrance tunnel. |
| Call: A sweet twittering with a metallic quality. |
