Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae)
Rufous-chested Swallow (Cecropis semirufa) - HBW 9, p. 676
French: Hirondelle à ventre roux
German: Rotbrustschwalbe
Spanish: Golondrina Pechirrufa
Other common names: Red-breasted Swallow
Taxonomy: Hirundo semirufa Sundevall, 1850, Magliesburg, Transvaal, South Africa.
Genus often merged with Hirundo, but DNA studies support retention of separate taxa. Forms a species group with C. senegalensis. Individuals in S part of range of gordoni proposed as separate race neumanni; further study needed. Nominate varies clinally in tail length in SW, longest in S. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- gordoni (Jardine, 1851) - Senegambia and Sierra Leone E to CW & S Sudan, Uganda, SW Kenya, extreme NW & N Tanzania and Rwanda, S to N Angola and C DRCongo.
- semirufa (Sundevall, 1850) - SW, C & E Angola, and from S DRCongo, Zambia and W Malawi S to N Namibia, N & E Botswana, NE South Africa and Swaziland.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Two birds collecting mud for nest building Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa
Roland Bischoff 31 October 2009 41 weeks ago 51 sec 4.3
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A bird perched on a bush
Locality Hwange National Park, Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe (ssp semirufa)
Laurent Demongin 25 September 2004 3 years ago 4 -
A resting pair
Locality Pilanesberg National Park, North West Province, South Africa
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 10 April 2011 22 weeks ago 3.8 -
Adults on a dead tree near Sweni Bird Hide
Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa
Ghislain Gosse 15 October 2007 1 year ago 3.4 -
A pair of Red-breasted Swallows perched on a dead tree.
Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa
Lindsay Hansch 13 October 2008 1 year ago 3.2 -
A bird perched on a branch.
Locality St Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa (ssp semirufa)
Carmelo López 12 November 2010 1 year ago 3 -
adult on a branch
Locality Pilanesberg National Park, North West Province, South Africa (ssp semirufa)
Georges Olioso 6 September 2004 3 years ago 3
- No sound recordings available yet
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