Page 278 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

MARTINS AND SWALLOWS
Order Passeriformes Family Hirundinidae Species Hirundo daurica
Red-rumped Swallow

rufous collar ADULT

thick tail
dull orange- streamers
buff rump
blackish rufous sides of head
tail looks ADULT and nape patch dark blue
stuck-on cap
dark blue back
(duller on
IN FLIGHT juvenile)
ADULT
blackish tail
without pale
white spots black under tail throat
faintly streaked, pale
rufous-cream underside

FLIGHT: quite stiff, wings held rather straight out;
shallow flaps, long, circling, flat glides.
nce picked out from a flock of
O Swallows, the Red-rumped Swallow
stands out because of its shape and actions as ADULT
much as its pattern. It looks stiffer, straighter-winged,
and slightly less fluent and relaxed in flight, enough to
make it distinct to a practised eye. It is a bird of south
Europe but appears with increasing frequency (if still
unpredictably) farther north in spring and late
autumn. In summer, it prefers areas with cliffs and
gorges, inland or on the coast, nesting in caves or
beneath natural overhangs as much as on buildings.
VOICE Quite distinct thin queek or tsek, sharper keeer;
song lower, harsher than Swallow’s.
NESTING Semi-spherical mud nest with entrance
tube, under overhang, in cave or under eaves; 3–5 eggs;
2 or 3 broods;April-June. RUFOUS COLLAR
FEEDING Takes insects in air, catching them in its The rufous patch between the dark cap and back is easy to see on
mouth like other members of its family. a perched bird, less so in flight.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Bird of S Europe, especially Spain,
SWALLOW HOUSE MARTIN Portugal, and Balkans; rare migrant
see p.275 see p.277
all-dark farther north in late spring or
above autumn. Often in mountain areas
with cliffs, also around coastal
cliffs, gorges, and older towns
larger white and villages in summer.
rump
Seen in the UK
dark throat JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 14–19cm (5 1 ⁄2 –7 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 30–35cm (12–14in) Weight 20g ( 11 ⁄16oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure
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