Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae)
Northern House Martin (Delichon urbicum) - HBW 9, p. 674
French: Hirondelle de fenêtre
German: Mehlschwalbe
Spanish: Avión Común
Other common names: House Martin, Common/European/Western House Martin
Taxonomy: Hirundo urbica Linnaeus, 1758, Sweden.
Forms a superspecies with D. dasypus; sometimes considered conspecific, but breeding ranges overlap (e.g. S of L Baikal). Nominate race exhibits largely clinal decrease in size from N to S, but abrupt size reduction in S Europe; birds in WC Europe sometimes separated as race fenestrarum. Race lagopodum and nominate breed parapatrically in Buryatia (S & E of L Baikal); review of taxonomic status of former required. Occasionally hybridizes with Hirundo rustica. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- urbicum (Linnaeus, 1758) - W, C & N Europe E to W Siberia; winters mainly sub-Saharan Africa.
- meridionale (Hartert, 1910) - S Europe, N Africa and WC Asia (E to Tien Shan and Kashmir); winters Africa and SW Asia.
- lagopodum (Pallas, 1811) - E Asia from middle and upper R Yenisey, Altai Mts and N Mongolia E to Anadyrland, Sea of Okhotsk and NE China; probably winters mainly SE Asia.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A front view Locality Ostensjovannet, Oslo, Oslo & Akershus, Norway (ssp urbicum)
Eric Roualet 17 May 2006 4 years ago 15 sec 3.5 -
A front view of a perched bird then showing its back Locality Ostensjovannet, Oslo, Oslo & Akershus, Norway (ssp urbicum)
Eric Roualet 17 May 2006 4 years ago 13 sec 3.5 -
A bird building its nest then flying away Locality Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain (ssp urbicum)
Eric Roualet 20 April 2007 4 years ago 12 sec 3.5 -
A nesting colony and a group of birds flying around Locality El Rocío, Doñana National Park, Andalucia, Spain (ssp urbicum)
Juan Sanabria 31 May 2006 5 years ago 31 sec 3.5 -
A bird arriving to its nest, in construction Locality Monfragüe National Park, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain (ssp urbicum)
Juan Sanabria 31 May 2006 5 years ago 10 sec 3.5 -
building a nest Locality Vossemeer, Dronten, Flevoland Province, Netherlands (ssp urbicum)
Daniêl Jimenez 29 May 2011 1 year ago 19 sec 3.4
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Many birds on wires.
Locality Robe, Ethiopia
Josep del Hoyo 4 December 2005 2 years ago 1.3
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Birds calling in a breeding colony. Locality Bulgaria
(ssp meridionale)
Iva Hristova 10 May 2009 3 years ago 3
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