Mosque Swallow
Cecropis senegalensis
This large swallow has rusty-red underparts, a pale buff throat, and a white leading edge to the underwing that is obvious only in flight. It is mostly resident, although it is also a wet season migrant to the north of its range. Pairs prefer wooded savanna, nesting in banks, termite mounds, and often holes in trees, particularly baobabs. The Mosque Swallow may be confused with the juvenile Rufous-chested Swallow, but it lacks the latter species’ dark “ear-flaps” and buffy forward part of the underwing.
Identification
The mosque swallow is the largest and heaviest species of African swallow, resembling a big red-rumped swallow Cecropis daurica. The crown, upperparts, and tail are glossy dark blue, and the lores and sides of the head are whitish forming a collar. The rump is dark rufous, while the throat and upper breast are pale rufous, shading to dark rufous on the remainder of the underparts. Very pale underwing coverts contrast with the dark flight feathers. Females are similar to males but have shorter tail streamers. Juveniles are browner. Mosque swallows are 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) in length.
Taxonomy
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the mosque swallow in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Senegal. He used the French name L'hirondelle du Sénégal and the Latin Hirundo Senegalensis. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. One of these was the mosque swallow. Linnaeus included a brief description and used Brisson's Latin name for his binomial name Hirundo senegalensis.<p>Formerly placed in the genus Hirundo the mosque swallow and its relatives have been shown by molecular studies to be a separate clade and are now placed in the genus Cecropis, which was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826.<p>There are three recognised subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Cecropis senegalensis
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Cecropis
Range and habitat
The mosque swallow is found from southern Mauritania and Senegal east to western South Sudan then south to Namibia, northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and north-eastern South Africa.<p>In southern Africa the mosque swallow is a woodland bird, preferring dense broad-leaved woodland with mopane (Colosphermum mopane) but also miombo (Brachystegia spp), with scattered baobabs (Adansonia digitata) and leadwoods (Combretum imberbe). In West Africa it prefers open habitats such as forest clearings and savanna, and also around villages and towns.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
The mosque swallow feeds on flying insects such as ants, termite alates and flies, normally foraging 2–30 m (6 ft 7 in – 98 ft 5 in) above the ground. It is attracted to termite emergence events and bushfires when it can gather in flocks of up to 30 birds, It has a slow rather falcon-like flight with a lot of gliding and often forages high above the woodland canopy in association with other hirundines and swifts.<p>The mosque swallow nests either solitarily or in small groups. The nest is made of mud pellets and lined with grass and feathers. Its shape is that of a gourd and it has a long entrance tunnel attached to the side. The nest is often situated in a tree cavity, very often in a baobab, but also in or under tree branches, in buildings or road culverts. They breed all year round, with a peak of breeding activity in August–April. The clutch is 2-4 eggs.
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Golden Whistler
Pachycephala pectoralis
Compact songbird with short bill. Males in much of range are olive above, yellow below, with white throat set in black head; males and females on Norfolk Island are olive-brown with yellowish underparts (brightest on undertail). Females vary across range, with eastern birds having some amount of yellow on the underparts and western birds (formerly treated as full species, “Western Whistler”) being gray-brown above and pale below, lacking yellow. Olive Whistler much browner below, with well-defined whitish bib. Inhabits a great variety of habitats. Bright, whistled song varies, but often has a whip-like ending.
Yellow-legged Buttonquail
Turnix tanki
Hardly bigger than a sparrow, this odd little ground bird has a disproportionately loud song. The booming hoots the female gives during the breeding season are often the easiest way to find this species in the open grassy habitats it occupies. Females are more vividly colored than males, with a bright orange breast and nape, yellow belly, white throat, and speckled gray upperparts. Males have a faded version of the same general color scheme, but have less spotting on the breast and a tan throat.
Desert Wheatear
Oenanthe deserti
Small dark-winged bird found in dry, open areas with sparse vegetation. Frequently seen perched up on posts, telephone lines, and rock mounds. Breeding male is soft brown above and pale below with a tan breast and a jet-black face, wings, and tail; nonbreeding male’s face is mottled instead of solid black. Female is more modestly colored and is gray above with less extensive black on the wings. Beware of very similar female Northern Wheatear, which tends to be warmer-colored, especially on the breast and has more extensive white in the tail than Desert Wheatear. Bright white rump in both sexes contrast sharply with black tail when in flight. The male’s song starts out with brief series of short, sweet whistles, and ends with a mellow rolling note. Calls are dry and somewhat chattery.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.