Photo: Dwergenpaartje / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Striped Swallow
Cecropis abyssinica
Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 13.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Hirundinidae Swallows, Martins
- Genus Cecropis
- Species abyssinica
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Striped Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Lesser Striped Swallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica) belongs to the Hirundinidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.5 g, with a wing length of about 10.8 cm and a tail of around 9.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 13.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Striped Swallow?
The Lesser Striped Swallow is a very small bird that weighs around 13.5 g.
Where does the Lesser Striped Swallow live?
The Lesser Striped Swallow is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Lesser Striped Swallow belong to?
The Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Lesser Striped Swallow eat?
The Lesser Striped Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Lesser Striped Swallow migrate?
The Lesser Striped Swallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Lesser Striped Swallow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Lesser Striped Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser Striped Swallow can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Lesser Striped Swallow's range?
The Lesser Striped Swallow has a mapped global range of about 13.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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