Striated Swallow is an Indian bird that bears a scientific name of "Cecropis striolata" found in the open hilly tracts and this bird is at about 19 cm long.
Concentration of Striated Swallow
Striated Swallow is a species of swallow found in open, often hilly areas, clearings and cultivation in South and Southeast Asia to north-eastern Indian states like Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Shillong, Mizoram, Cherapunjee, Manipur, Imphal, Dimapur and Taiwan.
Category of Striated Swallow
Striated Swallow was formerly sometimes considered to a subspecies of red-rumped swallow.
Structure of Striated Swallow
Striated Swallow is 19 cm long with a deeply forked tail. It has blue upperparts other than a reddish collar (sometimes absent) and streaked chestnut rump.
Face and Underparts of Striated Swallow
The face and underparts are white with heavy dark streaking.
Wings of Striated Swallow
The wings of Striated Swallow are brown in colour.
Sexes of Striated Swallow
The sexes of Striated Swallow are alike but juveniles are duller and browner, with a paler rump and shorter outer tail feathers.
Races of Striated Swallow
Striated Swallow has the four races. Some of them are Cecropis. s. striolata that breeds in Taiwan, The Philippines and Indonesia. Cecropis s. mayri breeds from north eastern India to north western Myanmar. It has broader streaks than nominate striolata. Cecropis. s. stanfordi breeds from north eastern Myanmar to northern Thailand. It has broad streaks. Cecropis. s. vernayi breeds locally in western Thailand. It is more rufous below than the nominate race, and is only faintly streaked on the rump.
Call of Striated Swallow
The contact call of Striated Swallow is pin, the alarm is chi-chi-chi, and the song is a soft twittering.
Similarity with the Races of Striated Swallows
Striated Swallow, particularly subspecies mayri is very similar to Red-Rumped Swallow of the race japonicus, but is larger, more heavily streaked, and has a less distinct neck collar. The island subspecies are essentially resident, but the continental races mayri and stanfordi are partial migrants which move south in the winter.
Breeding of Striated Swallow
Striated Swallow breeds from April to July alone or semi-colonially with scattered nests. The nest is a retort or bottle shaped structure, made from mud pellets and lined with dried grasses and feathers. The clutch is usually four, sometimes five, white eggs except for badia, where two eggs is normal. Both sexes build the nest, and share incubation and the care of the young.
Nests of Striated Swallow
The nests of Striated Swallow are constructed in natural caves, but very often in artificial sites on bridges, in culverts and on buildings.
Feeding of Striated Swallow
Striated Swallow feeds low over the ground or at cliff faces on flying insects. It has a slow buoyant flight compared to barn swallow. It will feed with other swallow species.
