Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae)
Grey-rumped Swallow (Pseudhirundo griseopyga) - HBW 9, p. 644
French: Hirondelle à croupion gris
German: Graubürzelschwalbe
Spanish: Golondrina Culigrís
Other common names: Andrew’s/Kenya Swallow (“andrewi”)
Taxonomy: Hirundo griseopyga Sundevall, 1850, Natal, South Africa.
Once included in genus Hirundo because of its coloration, but DNA data indicate close relationship to other members of the “core martin group”. Proposed races liberiae (from Liberia) and gertrudis (from NE Nigeria and N Cameroon) undiagnosable. “Hirundo andrewi”, based on single specimen caught at L Naivasha, Kenya, in 1965, has been treated as a race of present species but now generally thought to be an aberrant, darker individual (grey-brown below, darker chest side) of nominate race, probably on migration from unknown breeding area (possibly Ethiopia). T.. View all taxonomy...
Once included in genus Hirundo because of its coloration, but DNA data indicate close relationship to other members of the “core martin group”. Proposed races liberiae (from Liberia) and gertrudis (from NE Nigeria and N Cameroon) undiagnosable. “Hirundo andrewi”, based on single specimen caught at L Naivasha, Kenya, in 1965, has been treated as a race of present species but now generally thought to be an aberrant, darker individual (grey-brown below, darker chest side) of nominate race, probably on migration from unknown breeding area (possibly Ethiopia). Two subspecies normally recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- melbina (J. Verreaux & E. Verreaux, 1851) - Gambia, E Sierra Leone, Liberia, SW Ivory Coast, Ghana, and coast from Equatorial Guinea S to extreme NW Angola (Cabinda).
- griseopyga (Sundevall, 1850) - E Nigeria, N Cameroon, N Central African Republic, extreme S & E Sudan, Ethiopia, E PRCongo, and from W & E DRCongo, Uganda and W Kenya S to Angola, extreme N Namibia, N Botswana, NE South Africa (S to KwaZulu-Natal) and N & E Swaziland.
- Least Concern
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