Swallows, Martins, Saw-wings (Family Hirundinidae)

[Tina]

white-throated swallow

15 cm; 18-28 g; a blue-backed swallow with white underparts and a complete, blue-black breast band. Larger than wire-tailed swallow, with rufous confined to the frons (not entire cap), a complete breast band and short, relatively broad tail streamers. Juv is less glossy above, and has a brownish forehead; breast band dull brown, narrower than ad’s (sometimes incomplete). (SASOL)



WCNP September 2014

[Tina]

pearl-breasted swallow

13 cm; 10-15 g; a small, rather plain blue-and-white swalow, lacking red on head and white in tail. Tail has a shallow fork, but lacks streamers. Best told from grey-rumped swallow and common house martin by its plain blue-black (not pale grey or white) rump. From below it differs by its white (not dark) underwing coverts; has shorter tail than grey-rumped swallow and is more slender than common house martin. Juv. less glossy above and has shorter outer-tail feathers; innermost secondaries tipped white.(SASOL)

[Lisbeth]

Beautiful white-throated swallow, Tina

[Toko]

Lesser-striped Swallows in Pilanesberg

[Toko]

Lesser-striped Swallows in the Kruger National Park

[Tina]

great pictures, Toko

[Tina]

lesser striped swallow

15-19 cm; 16-22 g; smaller and darker than greater striped swallow, with more prominent blackish striping contrasting strongly with whiter underparts; rump darker rufous; ear coverts rufous (not whitish). Female has shorter tail streamers than male. Juv. duller, lacking blue-black gloss above, and has a brown (not rufous) crown; breast and flanks washed buff; tail streamers reduced. (SASOL)

[Tina]

greater striped swallow

16 – 20 cm; 20 -35 g; larger and paler than lesser striped swallow; striping on the buffy underparts is paler and less well defined; orange crown slightly paler; rump paler rufous; ear coverts whitish (not rufous). Paler overall than vagrant red-rumped swallow, with much more pronounced streaking on underparts; crown rufous-orange (not dark blue). Juv. duller with a reddish-brown crown and more heavily streaked underparts; tail streamers reduced. (SASOL)

[Tina]

mosque swallow

22 – 26 cm; 38 – 50 g; a large, red-rumped swallow; slightly larger than red-breasted swallow, with a white (not red) throat, face and upper breast, pale rufous (not dark blue) ear coverts and white (not buffy) underwing coverts. Juv. duller, with short tail streamers and pale buff underwing coverts, but coverts always paler than those of red-breasted swallow. (SASOL)

[Flutterby]

Great pics Toks & Tina.