Pacific swallow
Pacific swallow | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Hirundinidae |
Genus: | Hirundo |
Species: | H. tahitica
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Binomial name | |
Hirundo tahitica Gmelin, 1789
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The Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in tropical southern Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements. This bird is associated with coasts, but is increasingly spreading to forested uplands.[2] The hill swallow was formerly considered conspecific.
This species is a small swallow at 13 cm. It has a blue back with browner wings and tail, a red face and throat, and dusky underparts. It differs from the barn swallow and the closely related welcome swallow in its shorter and less forked tail.[2][3]
The Pacific swallow builds a neat cup-shaped nest, constructed with mud pellets collected in the beak, under a cliff ledge or on a man-made structures such as a building, bridge or tunnel. The nest is lined with softer material, and the clutch is two to three eggs. It is similar in behaviour to other aerial insectivores, such as other swallows and the unrelated swifts. It is a fast flyer and feeds on insects, especially flies, while airborne.[2]
Gallery[]
In flight
Water striking
Collecting nest materials
Pair
References[]
- ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Hirundo tahitica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Turner, Angela K; Rose, Chris (1989). Swallows & Martins: An Identification Guide and Handbook. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-51174-7.
- ^ Grimmett, Richard; Inskipp, Carol; Inskipp, Tim (2002). Pocket Guide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. London: Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-7136-6304-9.
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Hirundo
- Swallows
- Birds of Southeast Asia
- Birds of New Guinea
- Birds of the Pacific Ocean
- Birds of Polynesia
- Birds described in 1789
- Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin
- Hirundinidae stubs