Red-chested Swallow - BirdForum Opus

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Photo by Steve G
Makasutu, Gambia.

Hirundo lucida

Identification

Similar Species

Similar to the Barn Swallow, however, the Red-chested has a narrow and/or incomplete collar band, and has much bigger white panels in the tail.

Distribution

Tropical Africa:
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon abd Democratic Republic of Congo
Eastern Africa: occurs only in Ethiopia

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• H. l. lucida:

• Sahel and Senegal to Ghana, Togo and extreme western Nigeria

• H. l. rothschildi:

• Central and south-western Ethiopia

• H. l. subalaris:

• Eastern Zaire (lower and upper valley of the Congo River) and northern Gabon

Habitat

Moist savanna and open urban areas.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Red-chested Swallow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-chested_Swallow

External Links

Search for photos of Red-chested Swallow in the gallery