The streak-throated swallow or the Indian cliff swallow is a passerine bird, which includes a large number of other species including many swallows. It is native of South Asia where it is a breeder, year-round resident or winter visitor in the countries of Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. It occurs as a vagrant in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East.
Region
South Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds and occurs widely across parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal, with vagrants recorded in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the Middle East. Favors cliffs, river gorges, dams, and human-made structures such as bridges where mud is available for nest construction. Common over open countryside, floodplains, fields, and reservoirs, especially where aerial insects are abundant. Often roosts communally on ledges and wires near water or open farmland. Occurs locally in towns and villages where suitable nesting sites exist.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Indian cliff swallow, it often nests in dense colonies on cliffs, bridges, and buildings, crafting gourd-shaped mud nests with narrow entrance tunnels. Its movements track seasonal rains and insect emergences, leading to local residency in some areas and short-distance migrations in others. It frequently joins mixed flocks of other swallows and swifts over rivers and open fields.
John Gould illustration of nests
Flock close-packed on electric wires, Srirangapatna
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
agile flier with rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Strongly colonial, forming tight nesting aggregations on cliffs and bridges. Both sexes construct gourd-shaped mud nests and share incubation and chick-rearing. Outside the breeding season it gathers in flocks, often mixing with other hirundines over feeding sites.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A soft, twittering series of chirps and buzzy notes given in flight and at colonies. Calls include sharp contact chips and conversational chatter within nesting groups.
Plumage
Brown upperparts with a paler rump, buff underparts, and fine dark streaking across the throat and upper breast; tail is short and squarish.
Diet
Feeds almost entirely on aerial insects, including termites, ants, beetles, flies, and small wasps caught on the wing. Often forages low over water or fields where insects concentrate. Takes advantage of termite and ant alate emergences after rains. Will feed in mixed-species flocks to exploit dense swarms.
Preferred Environment
Open airspace above rivers, lakes, floodplains, and agricultural fields. Frequently hunts around bridges, dams, and village edges where thermals and insect swarms form.
