RED-RUMPED SWALLOW

Photographed at Lake Tinaroo, Yungaburra, Queensland, February 2018

1029                    RED-RUMPED SWALLOW                  Cecropis daurica 

AUSTRALIA              733

Regular vagrant to Australia, appearing in Broome area(WA) and at Yungaburra and near Mosman (Q). From southern Europe and Asia; Indian and African populations are resident, but European and other Asian birds migrate, wintering in Africa, India, and vagrants to Christmas Island and northern Australia. Insectivores, catching insects on the wing. Builds mud nest with tunnel entranc.

Katherine January 2024

WELCOME SWALLOW

Photographed at Shakespear Regional Park, June 2017

(*  173)                 WELCOME SWALLOW              Hirundo neoxena 

NEW ZEALAND                23

An abundant native found throughout most of New Zealand. 15 cm. Found over open country, especially with water.

HOUSE SWALLOW

Photographed Langkawi, April 2017

 (*   832)               HOUSE SWALLOW               Hirundo tahitica

MALAYSIA                 36

Commonly known as Pacific Swallow. Abundant throughout Malaysia, often on the wing. 14 cm.

RUFOUS-BELLIED SWALLOW

Photographed on Langkawi, April 2017

1141               RUFOUS-BELLIED SWALLOW                 Ceropis badia

MALAYSIA                22

Frequents limestone outcrops but forages many kilometres beyond these breeding sites over forests and cultivation. 18-20 cms. range throughout Malaysian Peninsula but not yet Singapore.

BARN SWALLOW

Photographed in Langkawi, April 2017

(*   805)                  BARN SWALLOW            Hirundo rustica

MALAYSIA              8

Found almost everywhere, from lowlands to mountains, over towns, villages, agricultural land and forest. 15-20 cm. Resident throughout most of N hemisphere;in Asia s to N Thailand and Vietnam, non-breeding migrant to all S continents and throughout Malaysia.

BARN SWALLOW

Subspecies gutturalis, photographed March 2017

(*   805)                 BARN SWALLOW               Hirundo rustica    

SRI LANKA             45  

Found over open country and towns, often near water. 18 cm. Very common winter migrant throughout Sri Lanka.

SRI LANKA SWALLOW

Subspecies hyperythra, photographed March 2017

1059                SRI LANKA SWALLOW                    Cecropis (daurica) hyperythra

SRI LANKA                 17

Found in open areas at forest fringes, plantations, human habitation, grasslands and paddy fields. 16-17 cm. Rather uncommon breeding resident throughout Sri Lanka.

NOTE: often treated as conspecific with Red-rumped Swallow.

BARN SWALLOW

Photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 2017

(*  805)             BARN SWALLOW                Hirundo rustica

NEPAL            106

Found in cultivation, towns, cities, and lakes and rivers in open country. 18 cm. Common resident and summer visitor.

RED-RUMPED SWALLOW

Photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 2017

1029              RED-RUMPED SWALLOW                Cecropis daurica

NEPAL               105

Breeds in habitation and forages nearby over cultivation and grassy slopes; winters in open country. 16-17 cm. Common resident.

PACIFIC SWALLOW

(see     832)              PACIFIC SWALLOW                 Hirundo tahitica  

SINGAPORE           (31)    

Very common, occurring over all habitat except tall primary forest. 14 cm. Distribution: parts of mainland Southeast Asia, Thai-Malay Peninsula, east to Maluka, New Guinea and west Pacific islands.

PACIFIC SWALLOW

Photographed in Ubud, Bali October 2016 

(832)              PACIFIC SWALLOW                 Hirundo tahitica    

INDONESIA (Bali)         (43)      

Common Indonesian swallow, found in all types of open country habitat, from coast to inland, to lower montane elevation; often, but not exclusively near water. 14 cms. Range: Oriental region and Australasia; sedentary; widespread and common resident throughout Indonesia.

BARN SWALLOW

Photographed in Denpasar, Bali October 2016

(see 805)                  BARN SWALLOW            Hirundo rustica

INDONESIA (Bali)          (11)

Found in open country; mainly seen on coastal lowlands during migration (August-May). 15 cm. Range: breeds worldwide in northern hemisphere; winters to the south; common migrant through Indonesia, abundant in the west, less-so in the east.

Photographed at Tanah Lot, Bali, October 2016

BARN SWALLOW

Photographed in Broome, September 2016

805              BARN SWALLOW             Hirundo rustica     

Australia         (649)

Also known as Common or European Swallow. 16-17 cm. Found above open country; agricultural land, especially near water; railcards, towns, overhead wires. Widespread in Northern Hemisphere, ‘winters’ in s hemisphere.East Asian race gutturalise regular non-breeding summer migrant to Philippines, Indonesia, PNG, and n. Aust, mostly Sept-March. Now seen regularly, annually from Kimberley (WA) to ne. and se. Q; vagrant to e. NSW, c SA, n. Vic.

BARN SWALLOW

Photographed in Nepal.

647           BARN SWALLOW               Hirundo rustica

Nepal        (18)

The most widespread species of swallow in the world. Ranges across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. There are six subspecies of Barn Swallow, which breed in the northern hemisphere. Four of these species migrate heavily wintering in much of the southern hemisphere, including as far south as central Argentina, the Cape Province in South Africa and northern Australia. A bird of open country but uses man-made structures to breed in. National bird of Austria and Estonia. 17-19 cm.

WHITE-BACKED SWALLOW

Photographed at Wilcannia, NSW  March 2015

524           WHITE-BACKED SWALLOW             Cheramoeca leucosternus

Australia          (365)

14-15 cm. Found in open inland, watercourses, dunes; ranges and foothills; inland lakes, river valleys;creek-banks, sandpits, quarries in areas with suitable sandy soil for nesting. Widespread across the bottom two-thirds of Australian mainland, except sw coast WA and coast of Victoria.

GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW

425         GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW               Pseudhirundo griseopyga

South Africa             (95)

14 cm. Found in open areas in tall, dense woodlands, frequently burnt and cleared areas, ploughed fields and flood plains. Range below Sahara, in southern Africa found in ne third.

WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW

398           WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW            Hirundo smithii

South Africa          (91)

18 cm. Found in open country near water and human habitation. Range across ne Southern Africa.