Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Wire-tailed Swallow
Hirundo smithii
Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Africa and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 12.4 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 smithii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wire-tailed Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Wire-tailed Swallow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) belongs to the Hirundinidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers AF, OR widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.4 g, with a wing length of about 11.1 cm and a tail of around 7.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 15.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wire-tailed Swallow?
The Wire-tailed Swallow is a very small bird that weighs around 12.4 g.
Where does the Wire-tailed Swallow live?
The Wire-tailed Swallow is found across Africa and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering AF, OR widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Wire-tailed Swallow belong to?
The Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Wire-tailed Swallow eat?
The Wire-tailed Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Wire-tailed Swallow migrate?
The Wire-tailed Swallow is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Wire-tailed 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 Wire-tailed Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the Wire-tailed 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 Wire-tailed Swallow's range?
The Wire-tailed Swallow has a mapped global range of about 15.1 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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