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Swallows, Martins

Swallows, martins, and saw-wings belong to the Hirundinidae family, representing highly adapted aerial insectivores recognizable by their streamlined bodies and long, pointed wings, crucial for their impressive endurance and agility in flight. This cosmopolitan family comprises around 90 species across 19 genera, with the highest diversity in Africa, their believed evolutionary origin. They showcase a variety of nesting habits, from hole-nesting and burrow excavation to crafting mud nests. Swallows have a global distribution, breeding on all continents, with temperate species often migrating long distances in response to insect availability, while tropical species may be resident or partially migratory. Swallows forage on the wing, primarily capturing flying insects, and exhibit a diversity in breeding behavior; some species are solitary while others form large colonies. These birds share incubation and chick-feeding responsibilities, though the roles can differ between species. Humans have had a long relationship with swallows, often encouraging their presence due to their appetite for insects. Despite generally being common and widespread, some swallow species face threats such as habitat loss and competition with introduced species.

Regions

Categories

All
Accentors
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bearded Reedling
Bee-eaters
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Cranes
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Loons
Monarchs
New World Sparrows
New World Warblers
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plovers
Przevalski's Finch
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds

Swallows, Martins

Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Tanagers & Allies
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
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Species Categories

AccentorsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBearded ReedlingBee-eatersBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCranesCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFlamingosFlowerpeckersFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsLoonsMonarchsNew World SparrowsNew World WarblersNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloversPrzevalski's FinchRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandgrouseSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersTanagers & AlliesThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrens

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What Our Birders Say
Foxgirl100
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778
Great bird recording
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Great app
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Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
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