Family:
The eastern red-rumped swallow is similar to the barn swallow but has straighter wings and a thicker tail. It has glossy blue upperparts and white underparts marked with dark streaks, brown underwings, a rufous or orange rump, and black undertail coverts. The head has a blue cap, a white face streaked with dark markings, and a reddish-orange partial collar. Males and females appear alike.
The European red-rumped swallow was formerly considered a subspecies.
Try our interactive bird identifier
The eastern red-rumped swallow feeds on flying insects such as flies, beetles, and mosquitoes, which it catches mid-air while flying low over the ground. It sometimes joins mixed-species feeding flocks with other swallows.
Eastern red-rumped swallows are found across Southeast Asia, extending to northeast India and Taiwan. They breed in mountainous areas, on cliffs, in caves, and human-made structures.
Northern populations are migratory, while those in the south tend to be mostly resident.
