Angola swallow

Short description: Species of bird

Angola swallow

At Munhango, Angola

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Aves
Order:  | Passeriformes
Family:  | Hirundinidae
Genus:  | Hirundo
Species:  |

H. angolensis

Binomial name
Hirundo angolensis

Barboza du Bocage, 1868

The Angola swallow (Hirundo angolensis) is a species of swallow that is native to the Afrotropics.

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Behaviour
* 3 Range
* 4 Relationships
* 5 Subspecies
* 6 Gallery
* 7 References

## Description

They measure 15 cm and weigh 16 to 19 g. The plumage of the forehead, throat and upper breast is coloured deep rufous-chestnut. The crown and upperparts are a shiny steel-blue. Flight and tail feathers are black, the latter with large white windows.[2]

## Behaviour

They frequent a variety of open habitats up to the fringes of forest, whether altered by man or natural. Their diet consists of a variety of flying insects. They may forage alone or in flocks, and emit a weak twittering. Their breeding season and abundance depends much on their region of residence, and a few undertake migrations.[2]

## Range

It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

## Relationships

It has been considered conspecific with the Red-chested swallow, but is generally taken as a full species in a species complex that includes Barn, Red-chested, Pacific, Welcome, White-throated and Ethiopian swallows.[3]

## Subspecies

There are two subspecies, but intermediate forms occur:[3]

* H. a. angolensis – type from Huíla Province, Angola
* H. a. arcticincta Sharpe, 1891[4] – East Africa

## Gallery

* Nominate subsp. from illustration by R. B. Sharpe (1894)

* Subsp. arcticincta with deeper tail-fork & paler belly plumage

* Egg of Angola swallow

## References

1. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Hirundo angolensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22712272A94326670. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22712272A94326670.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22712272/94326670. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Turner, A.. "Angolan Swallow (Hirundo angolensis)". Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. http://www.hbw.com/species/angolan-swallow-hirundo-angolensis.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Angolan Swallow (Hirundo angolensis) - HBW 9, p. 666". http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/angolan-swallow-hirundo-angolensis.
4. ↑ "Angola Swallow (arcticincta)". http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=B6072512.

Wikidata ☰ Q547224 entry

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