Photo: https://www.flickr.com/people/cjaphotography/ / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pearl-breasted Swallow
Hirundo dimidiata
Pearl-breasted Swallow (Hirundo dimidiata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pearl-breasted Swallow (Hirundo dimidiata) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 12.1 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 Hirundo
- Species dimidiata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
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Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pearl-breasted 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 Pearl-breasted Swallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pearl-breasted Swallow (Hirundo dimidiata) belongs to the Hirundinidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF s, sc.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.1 g, with a wing length of about 9.8 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 3.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pearl-breasted Swallow?
The Pearl-breasted Swallow is a very small bird that weighs around 12.1 g.
Where does the Pearl-breasted Swallow live?
The Pearl-breasted Swallow is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, sc, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Pearl-breasted Swallow belong to?
The Pearl-breasted Swallow (Hirundo dimidiata) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pearl-breasted Swallow eat?
The Pearl-breasted Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pearl-breasted Swallow migrate?
The Pearl-breasted Swallow is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pearl-breasted 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 Pearl-breasted Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the Pearl-breasted Swallow — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pearl-breasted Swallow's range?
The Pearl-breasted Swallow has a mapped global range of about 3.7 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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