Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae)
Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) - HBW 9, p. 668
French: Hirondelle à longs brins
German: Rotkappenschwalbe
Spanish: Golondrina Colilarga
Other common names: African Wire-tailed Swallow (smithii); Asian Wire-tailed Swallow (filifera)
Taxonomy: Hirundo Smithii Leach, 1818, Chisalla Island, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sometimes considered to form a superspecies with H. nigrita, but substantial plumage and other morphological differences, combined with extent of range overlap in Africa (Congo Basin), make this unlikely. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- smithii Leach, 1818 - sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal, S Mali and C Ivory Coast E to C & S Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, and S (outside C rainforest zone) to N Namibia, N Botswana and NE South Africa.
- filifera Stephens, 1826 - S Uzbekistan, S Tadjikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, SW Nepal, Myanmar, N Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and C Vietnam.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Frontal view of an adult female preening on a wire. Locality Dasada, Surendranagar District, Gujarat, India (ssp filifera)
Josep del Hoyo 18 February 2011 23 weeks ago 24 sec 4.4 -
An adult male perched on an electric wire, preening and stretching wings and tail. Locality Dasada, Surendranagar District, Gujarat, India (ssp filifera)
Josep del Hoyo 18 February 2011 23 weeks ago 22 sec 4.4 -
An adult male preening on an electric wire. Locality Dasada, Surendranagar District, Gujarat, India (ssp filifera)
Josep del Hoyo 18 February 2011 23 weeks ago 23 sec 4.3 -
An individual perched on the railings of a travelling boat and briefly singing Locality Victoria Falls, Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe (ssp smithii)
Greg Baker 14 September 1999 11 weeks ago 38 sec 4.3 -
A juvenile bird preening on a wire. Locality Dasada, Surendranagar District, Gujarat, India (ssp filifera)
Josep del Hoyo 18 February 2011 23 weeks ago 23 sec 4 -
Two birds on a wire, one flies away. Locality Afar Plains, Afar Region, Ethiopia (ssp smithii)
Josep del Hoyo 27 November 2005 6 years ago 29 sec 3.9
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A juvenile near water.
Locality Pune Division, Maharashtra, India (ssp filifera)
anup sharma 18 December 2010 1 year ago 4.5 -
A bird resting on a bridge over the Luvuvhu River, Pafuri Camp.
Locality South Africa
Dave Jackson 15 March 2010 2 years ago 4.3 -
Perched on a wire
Locality Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
John A Thompson 16 January 2012 16 weeks ago 3.9 -
Wire-tailed swallow basking in the sun on a canal culvert.
Locality Mysore District, Karnataka, India
Ragoorao 31 August 2010 51 weeks ago 3.8 -
Looking in to mirror
Locality Kutch District, Gujarat, India
jugal Tiwari 11 July 2009 1 year ago 3.8 -
Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. I saw these birds Basai place is in Gur
Locality Gurgaon District, Haryana, India
Vaibhav Mishra 23 May 2010 1 year ago 3.7
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Calling in morning on a wire Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
(ssp filifera)
RAM GOPAL SONI 13 February 2010 2 years ago 4
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