Senegal Swallow

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Senegal Swallow
Senegal swallow (illustration of the subspecies Cecropis senegalensis monteiri, 1894)

Senegal swallow
(illustration of the subspecies Cecropis senegalensis monteiri , 1894)

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes)
Family : Swallows (Hirundinidae)
Genre : Cecropis
Type : Senegal Swallow
Scientific name
Cecropis senegalensis
( Linnaeus , 1766)

The Senegal swallow ( Cecropis senegalensis , syn .: Hirundo senegalensis ) is a 18-23 centimeter large bird species from the swallow family .

Appearance

Senegal Swallow

This species has black dorsal plumage. The forehead, the neck, the wings, the legs and the tail split at the end are also black. The throat and the area below the eyes are white. The beak is gray. The red belly, a narrow elongated reddish area behind the eye and the lower red part of the back in front of the tail are noticeable. The wings are very long and narrow towards the rounded wing tip.

distribution and habitat

Distribution area (green) of the Senegal Swallow

This species occurs in three subspecies in central Africa from Senegal to Kenya . The Senegal Swallow prefers open forests and savannahs with a loose tree population.

Way of life

This species lives in smaller groups. It catches its food insects in flight. The flight pattern when catching prey is similar to that of birds of prey . The life expectancy of the Senegal swallow is around four years.

Reproduction

The mud nest is created in tree hollows, wall and rock crevices. This is padded with feathers. The lay consists of 3–4 white eggs. The breeding business is done by the female alone. The young hatch after 15 days and both parents feed them for another three weeks in the nest. After the young have left the nest, the adult birds feed the young for ten days.

Danger

Because of its wide distribution and because no endangerments are known for this species, the IUCN classifies this species as Least Concern .

literature

  • Wildlife of Africa in color. Karl Müller Verlag, Erlangen 1989, pp. 141, 142.
  • Wilhelm Eigner: Encyclopedia of Animals. Volume 2, Weltbild Verlag, 1999, ISBN 3-89350-361-7 , p. 357.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ African wildlife in color. Karl Müller Verlag, Erlangen 1989, p. 141.

Web links

Commons : Senegalese Swallow ( Cecropis senegalensis )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files