Rufous-chested Swallow
A species of Cecropis Scientific name : Cecropis semirufa Genus : Cecropis
Rufous-chested Swallow, A species of Cecropis
Botanical name: Cecropis semirufa
Genus: Cecropis
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Alandmanson , used under CC-BY-SA-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
The red-breasted swallow is similar to the mosque swallow but is slightly smaller and has longer tail streamers, both species having a blue crown and mantle contrasting with a rufous rump and underparts, In the red-breasted swallow the dark crown extends below the eye and there is no white on the underwing. The juvenile is similar to the red-rumped swallow but has blue on the side of the head rather than blue.
Size
24 cm
Life Expectancy
5 years
Feeding Habits
Rufous-chested Swallow mainly feeds on insects like flying ants, flies, and beetles. They often forage in pairs or groups and are attracted to grass fires for feeding. Their flight during feeding is slow, buoyant, and includes frequent glides, occasionally hovering over vegetation.
Habitat
Rufous-chested Swallow typically resides in open and dry territories including grasslands, savannas, scrublands, and agricultural fields as well as areas around human dwellings, often preferring locations near water sources. These birds generally inhabit elevations up to 1500 meters. Unlike its relative which favors more wooded environments, rufous-chested Swallow has adapted well to man-made structures, utilizing them to build its distinctive mud nests, commonly beneath bridges or within abandoned edifices. These areas provide the shelter and cavity-like spaces suitable for its specialized nesting requirements.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
The red-breasted swallow is found over most of Africa south of the Sahara from the Eastern Cape north to northern Namibia and southern Angola in the west and Mozambique in the east, with a disjunct range from Senegal south to northern Angola east to Uganda, southwestern Kenya and northwestern Tanzania. The red-breasted swallow is migratory in most of its range, in southern Africa is a summer visitor, nesting between July and March with most of the population migrating to equatorial Africa, although a few remain all year. In some parts of its range, e.g. in southeastern Nigeria to Gabon it appears to be resident but is mostly a rainy season breeding visitor across its northern range.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Alandmanson , used under CC-BY-SA-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Swallows Genus
Cecropis Species
Rufous-chested Swallow