Red-rumped Swallow

distribution of red-rumped swallow
Names, conservation status and distribution
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado

red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Nakuru National Park
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado

red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado

red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Lolldaiga Hills Conservancy
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Champagne Ridge, Kajiado
red-rumped swallow, hirondelle rousseline, Cecropis daurica, birds of kenya
Lolldaiga Hills Conservancy

The red-rumped swallow (Cecropis daurica) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in open hilly country of temperate southern Europe and Asia from Portugal and Spain to Japan, India, Sri Lanka and tropical Africa. The Indian and African birds are resident, but European and other Asian birds are migratory. They winter in Africa or India and are vagrants to Christmas Island and northern Australia.

Red-rumped swallows are somewhat similar in habits and appearance to the other aerial insectivores, such as the related swallows and the unrelated swifts (order Apodiformes). They have blue upperparts and dusky underparts.

They resemble barn swallows, but are darker below and have pale or reddish rumps, face and neck collar. They lack a breast band, but have black undertails. They are fast fliers and they swoop on insects while airborne. They have broad but pointed wings.

Red-rumped swallows build quarter-sphere nests with a tunnel entrance lined with mud collected in their beaks, and lay 3 to 6 eggs. They normally nest under cliff overhangs in their mountain homes, but will readily adapt to buildings such as mosques and bridges.

They do not normally form large breeding colonies, but are gregarious outside the breeding season. 

Source : wikipedia