Pacific Swallow
Hirundo javanica
Common swallow of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, often in cities and towns as well as above fields, lakes, and forests. Adult iridescent blue above and grayish buff below, with orangish throat and forehead. Similar to Barn Swallow, which has longer outer tail feathers and a dark line separating the throat and breast, lacking in Pacific. Frequently perches on telephone lines, often with other swallow species.
Identification
This species is a small swallow at 13 cm (5.1 in) in length. It has a blue-black back and crown with browner wings and tail, a red face and throat, and dusky underparts. It differs from the barn swallow and the closely related welcome swallow in its shorter and less forked tail.
Taxonomy
The Pacific swallow was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the swallows in the genus Hirundo and coined the binomial name Hirundo tahitica. Gmelin based his entry on the "Otaheite swallow" that had been described and illustrated in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his book A General Synopsis of Birds.<p>Seven subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Hirundo javanica
- Authority
- Gmelin, JF, 1789
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Hirundo
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Pacific swallow builds a neat cup-shaped nest, constructed with mud pellets collected in the beak, under a cliff ledge or on man-made structures such as a building, bridge or tunnel. The nest is lined with softer material, and the clutch is two to three eggs. It is similar in behaviour to other aerial insectivores, such as other swallows and the unrelated swifts. It is a fast flyer and feeds on insects, especially flies, while airborne.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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