Home › Aves › Hirundinidae › Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii)
SPECIES PROFILE
Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii)
Hirundo
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Africa India southeast Asia
DIET
Insectivorous
HABITAT
Open country near water rivers lakes urban areas
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Passeriformes
FAMILY
Hirundinidae
GENUS
Hirundo
📋 Description
SIZE
14-18 cm long 12-16 g
COLORATION
Glossy blue-black upperparts white underparts rufous cap long thin tail wires
ADAPTATIONS
Agile fliers hawking insects builds mud nests under bridges
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Open country near water rivers lakes urban areas
DIET
Insectivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Africa India southeast Asia
REPRODUCTION
Lays 3-4 eggs in mud nests incubated 14-16 days
DIET DETAILS
Insects caught in flight
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Habitat loss urban development
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Aerial Acrobats: Wire-tailed Swallows glide with 14-gram bodies catching 5 grams of insects daily over Bharatpur's wetlands. Their tail wires are distinctive.
2
River Nesters: These swallows cover 3000 sq km in Punjab's rivers nesting under bridges. Water pollution threatens their feeding grounds.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan wetlands
Chambal River in Uttar Pradesh
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat lakes
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
October-March Dry season enhances visibility over water for spotting swallows
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Watch wire-tailed swallows swooping low over rivers at sunrise
