Identification
12 cm (4¾ in)
- Uniform pale grey-brown throat and breast
- Whitish belly, no breast band
- Dark grey-brown above
- Paler rump
- Blackish wings and tail
- Tail looks square or slightly forked
Sexes similar.
Similar species
Very similar to Plain Martin and Sand Martin but note pale grey-brown throat and breast.
Distribution
From Afghanistan east to the northern Indian Subcontinent, Burma, southeast Asia and the Philippines.
Common in most parts of its range.
Taxonomy
Formerly included in Plain Martin.
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- R. c. chinensis from Afghanistan and Pakistan to northern India, Burma and southeast Asia
- R. c. tantilla in the northern Philippines
Habitat
Found around lakes and streams.
Behaviour
Diet
Their main diet consists of insects with the addition of fruit and nectar.
Vocalisation
Listen in an external program
Recording © by Alok Tewari
Gurgaon Rural, Haryana, India. 20 November 2018.
A group working on a freshly excavated sandy clay embankment and calling.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Grey-throated Martin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grey-throated_Martin
External Links
