Home > Indian History > Flora & Fauna > Wire-Tailed Swallow
Wire-Tailed Swallow
Wire-Tailed Swallow is an Indian Bird and it is a bird that belongs to the family of small passerine birds concentrated in Asia and African countries.

Share this Article:

Wire-Tailed Swallow, Indian BirdWire-Tailed Swallow is a small bird of passerine family and it is an Indian bird that bears a scientific name of "Hirundo smithii". The Asian form of Wire-Tailed Swallow is found in southern Uzbekistan south through Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India east to south-western Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), northern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and central Vietnam.

Category of Wire-Tailed Swallow
Wire-Tailed Swallow has two subspecies: H. S. smithii, which occurs throughout Africa, and H. S. filifera, which is found in southern and south-eastern Asia. It is mainly resident, but populations in Pakistan and northern Indian state like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh migrate further move south in winter season.

Habitat of Wire-Tailed Swallows
Wire-Tailed Swallow is found in open country near water and human habitation. Wire-Tailed Swallows are fast flyers and they generally feed on insects, especially flies, while airborne. They are typically seen low over water, with which they are more closely associated than most swallows.

Nests of Wire-Tailed Swallow
The neat half-bowl nests of Wire-Tailed Swallow are lined with mud collected in the swallows` beaks. They are placed on vertical surfaces near water under cliff ledges or more commonly on man-made structures such as buildings and bridges.

Eggs of Wire-Tailed Swallow
The clutch of Wire-Tailed Swallow is three to four eggs in Africa, up to five in Asia (Turner and Rose). These birds are solitary and territorial nesters, unlike many swallows, which tend to be colonial.

Size of Wire-Tailed Swallow
Wire-Tailed Swallow is a small swallow, measuring 18 cm in length. It has bright blue upperparts, bright white under parts and a chestnut cap. Immature birds lack tail wires, and have dull brown (rather than chestnut) caps. The plumage of Wire-Tailed Swallow is mostly bright blue above, except for the reddish-brown crown (top of the head) and white spots on the tail. There is a blue bar extending from the beak through the eyes down to the neck and back. The plumage below is white, except for the darker flight feathers.

Behaviour of Wire-Tailed Swallow
Wire-Tailed Swallows are mostly resident that is they are non-migratory in nature, except for some populations in Pakistan and northern part of India that migrate south for the winter.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Flora & Fauna


Flora Of Uttarakhand
Uttaranchal falls under the west Himalayan Biogeography zone and it is well-known for floral diversity .
Flora and Fauna of Ladakh
Flora and Fauna is typical to t he kind of mountainous terrain which dominate the entire landscape of the region. Though some varieties of fauna are to be found here, the vegetation is very limited due to the dry and cold climate.
Flora and fauna in Tripura
Two-thirds of Tripura is forested where different species of trees, orchids, birds and wildlife are found. There are four sanctuaries in the state namely, Rowa wildlife sanctuary, Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary, Trishna wildlife sanctuary and Gumti wildlife sanctuary.
Flora and Fauna in Meghalaya
70 percent of Meghalaya is forested. Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity.
Flora and Fauna of Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is rich in flora and fauna. Flora includes thorn bush type of the arid plain to the temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes. Faunal species found here are leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, muskrat; varieties of snakes, bats, lizards etc.
Flora and fauna in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Economy of this region is primly based on agriculture. In Andaman island, paddy is the main food crop, while in Nicoabar island coconut and areca nut are the main crops. Some field crops like pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are also grown here.
Flora And Fauna Of Uttar Pradesh
Flora and Fauna of Uttar Pradesh is widely diversified and adds pride to the state.
Flora and fauna of Kerala
Flora and Fauna of Kerala are diverse. The favourable climate with heavy rainfall and good quality of the soils helps both the flora and fauna to thrive. Forest covers a large area in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
Flora and fauna of Karnataka
Flora and fauna of Karnataka are diverse and comprise of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, etc. Flora of Karnataka comprises of species like eucalyptus, teak and rosewood. Fauna of Karnataka comprises of species like leopard, gaur and wild pig.
Flora and Fauna of Rajasthan
The flora and fauna of Rajasthan supports all kinds of animal species and forests. The diverse flora and fauna of Rajasthan has made it a popular tourist destination.
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh includes infinite species and is a subject of great interests for the botanists.
Flora and Fauna of Manipur
Flora and fauna of Manipur are known to be the assemblage of a huge variety including the endangered ones. The place is especially famed for orchid species which includes the most vibrant and beautiful ones of the world.