White-throated Swallow

Hirundo albigularis

Wetlands. Orange forehead; metallic-blue above; white below with black breast-band; forked tail.

Swallows

Not Endemic

Description

Common summer resident; all year at low altitudes. Told from [Barn Swallow] by clear white underparts with black breast-band. Juvenile lacks chestnut forehead-patch. Utters a soft twittering and has a warbling song. Found in pairs near nesting sites under rock overhangs, bridges, culverts, outbuildings or other artificial structures near or over water. A particularly acrobatic and high-speed flier.

Quick Facts

Bird Family

Small, long-winged, aerial-feeding birds. Swallows have mostly glossy-blue upperparts (some with rufous caps) and whitish, rufous or streaked underparts; the blackish saw-wing swallows are an exception. Saw-wings have rough, saw-like leading edges to their primary feathers (not apparent in the field). In all species, immatures are duller than adults. They build nests with mud pellets or burrow tunnels in banks or cliffs; they drink and bathe in flight by skimming the surface of still water, and perch to rest. For comparison, see swifts.