- Hirundo rustica
Description
Location: Suffolk
Identification
Abundant and widespread throughout the Region. Breeds in the British Isles, France and Iberia east to the Urals and Caspian. In the north found to 70�N on the Norwegian coast and breeds north to the White Sea in Russia. Breeds on the north Mediterranean coast and most islands, in Turkey and the Caucasus, across North-West Africa and in the Nile Valley but only locally in the Middle East.
Small numbers regularly winter in southern Spain and North-West Africa but the majority of European birds winter in sub-Saharan Africa leaving breeding areas August-October and returning March-May. Middle Eastern and Egyptian birds are largely resident.
Vagrant north to Iceland (has bred), Faroes (may breed annually), Svalbard, Bear Island and Jan Mayen, also on the Azores, these birds may have originated in North America.
Subspecies Three races occur in the Region, separable in the field. Nominate race is found over most of range, replaced by transitiva in southern Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, Israel and west Jordan, with pinkish to orange underparts and savignii in Egypt with dark red-brown underparts, both slightly larger than nominate. North American race erythrogaster with reduced breast-band and rusty-buff underparts has possibly been recorded as a vagrant in Iceland
Habitat Mainly occurs on farmland with abundant flying insects attracted by livestock and nesting sites in farm buildings. Often breeds in rural villages but rarely in large towns. Highly gregarious on passage and frequently feeds over large water bodies.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Hirundo rustica (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
