African Red-rumped Swallow
Cecropis melanocrissus
Brightly-colored swallow with a deeply forked tail, pale orangish rump, black squared-off undertail coverts, and an incomplete orange collar. Color of underparts varies geographically from pale whitish to rufous, with sparse or no streaking. Juveniles average paler and lack extensive orangish tones; may resemble house-martins but note deeply forked tail. Builds mud nests on rocks as well as human structures, and forages over a wide variety of open habitats. Frequently gives a short, sparrow-like “twi’wit.” Very similar to European Red-rumped Swallow, but with little or no streaking below.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cecropis melanocrissus
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Cecropis
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-footed Falcon
Falco vespertinus
Long-winged and elegant, but looks less powerful than Eurasian Hobby, with which it may associate while hawking for insects. Males unmistakable, females distinctive. Juveniles can be confused with young Hobbies, but note juvenile Red-footed's barred uppertail. Often seen perched on telephone wires and posts. Nests in colonies mostly in old corvid nests, often of Rooks. Hunts over open and semiopen habitats, often near water.
Pere David's Laughingthrush
Pterorhinus davidi
A plain clay-brown laughingthrush with a long, curved yellow bill. Largely without distinguishing plumage features, but note weak white brow, blue-gray tinge to the wings, and small black patches on the “elbow” and face. The only laughingthrush in much of its range. Forages in hilly and montane regions, where it often moves about noisily in medium-sized flocks in scrubby, brushy habitat, often near waterways. Long rambling song melodious and thrush-like; calls include fluid whistles, nasal chattering, and quiet peeping.
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren
Hylacola pyrrhopygia
Small bird of dense heath and shrubland in southeastern Australia. Pale brown above, whitish below, with distinct pale supercilium, red-brown rump, small white patch at the base of primaries, fine dark chest streaking, and long, cocked tail. Forages quietly on the ground or in thick vegetation, where difficult to see. Compare Shy Heathwren, which has a white wing spot, more black in wing, and darker legs.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.