Madagascar Martin
Riparia cowani
Small, very plain brown swallow with a white belly. Found in a variety of open habitats, including marshes, rice paddies, other agricultural fields, secondary forest, and montane heathland. Found at middle and high elevations, and absent from the lowlands. Most often seen on the wing, sometimes in flocks, which can also contain other species of swallow or swift. Weak, fluttering flight. The common vocalization, usually given in flight, is a short, slightly descending rattling trill. Somewhat similar to Mascarene Martin, but much smaller and plainer, lacking streaking on the underparts.
Identification
The Madagascar martin (Riparia cowani) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae that is found in montane Madagascar. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the brown-throated martin (Riparia paludicola).
Taxonomy
The Madagascar martin was formally described in 1882 by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe based on specimens collected by the Scottish naturalist William Deans Cowan in montane southeast Madagascar. Sharpe coined the binomial name Cotile cowani, choosing the specific epithet to honour the collector. It is now one of six martins placed in the genus Riparia that was introduced in 1817 by the German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster. The Madagascar martin was formerly considered to be conspecific with the brown-throated martin (Riparia paludicola) but was split based on the different morphology and vocalization. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Riparia cowani
- Authority
- (Sharpe, 1882)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Riparia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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