Ethiopian swallow

The Ethiopian swallow is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae. Although it is non-migratory, its range is wide, extending from Benin to Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Israel, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda.

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Distribution

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa and the Horn of Africa

Typical Environment

Widespread from West Africa across the Sahel and into East Africa and the Horn, with localized occurrences extending into the Middle East (including Israel). It favors open country, savannas, farmland, villages and towns, and forages over rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Nests are usually placed under eaves, bridges, and on cliffs, using mud pellets. It avoids dense closed-canopy forest but readily exploits human-modified landscapes.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 3200 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size13–15 cm

Wing Span27–32 cm

Male Weight0.012 kg

Female Weight0.012 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

A non-migratory swallow of the African tropics, it often nests on buildings, bridges, and culverts, readily adapting to human structures. It helps control flying insect populations and may breed opportunistically after rains when insects are abundant. Pairs often reuse and repair mud cup nests for multiple seasons.

Gallery

Hirundo aethiopica - MHNT

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

agile flier with quick, shallow wingbeats and swooping glides

Social Behavior

Often nests in loose colonies or small groups on buildings and cliffs. Both sexes gather mud and build the cup-shaped nest, and they may raise multiple broods where conditions allow. Territoriality is modest and usually limited to the immediate nest site.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A soft, twittering series of chirps and trills, delivered in rapid sequences during flight and near nests. Calls are high-pitched and conversational, intensifying during social interactions.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Ethiopian thrush

The Ethiopian thrush is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found primarily in Ethiopia, and also locally in Eritrea. It is a medium-sized thrush 20–22 cm long, with a brown back, two vertical dark brown bars on the face, a spotted breast and belly, and an unusually short tail. Compared to the closely related groundscraper thrush from further south in Africa, it is browner, less grey-coloured above, and has a less marked face pattern.

Ethiopian white-eye

The Ethiopian white-eye, formerly known as Heuglin's white-eye or montane white-eye, is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. It is found in southeast Sudan, Eritrea and north, central and east Ethiopia. Its natural habitats range from subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, to subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, plantations, and rural gardens.

Eurasian bittern

The Eurasian bittern or great bittern is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily (Botaurinae) of the heron family Ardeidae. There are two subspecies, the northern race breeding in parts of Europe and across the Palearctic, as well as on the northern coast of Africa, while the southern race is endemic to parts of southern Africa. It is a secretive bird, seldom seen in the open as it prefers to skulk in reed beds and thick vegetation near water bodies. Its presence is apparent in the spring, when the booming call of the male during the breeding season can be heard. It feeds on fish, small mammals, fledgling birds, amphibians, crustaceans and insects.

Eurasian blackcap

The Eurasian blackcap is a bird usually known simply as the blackcap. It is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences across the five subspecies are small. Both sexes have a neat coloured cap to the head, black in the male and reddish-brown in the female. The male's typical song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, but a simpler song is given in some isolated areas, such as valleys in the Alps. The blackcap's closest relative is the garden warbler, which looks quite different but has a similar song.