Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea), recorded as Endangered
Blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Blue swallow

Hirundo atrocaerulea

The blue swallow is a small bird within the swallow family that is in the order Passeriformes.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Hirundo atrocaerulea
Taxonomy
Aves · Passeriformes · Hirundinidae · Hirundo

Appearance

White feathers are visible on the rump and flanks when the birds are preening and especially during courtship. Young blue swallows start life a brownish-grey, acquiring their blue colour as they mature.

Published measurements include mass about 1.67.

Range and habitat

It breeds in the Afromontane (from South Africa to Tanzania), wintering north of Lake Victoria.

The Centre encompasses known breeking sites and the Nirodha Nature Reserve was awarded conservation status in recognition of its role in protecting the mist-belt grasslands that this species depends on for nesting.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Breeding

This bird breeds in montane grassland, preferring high rainfall, undulating areas. The nest is usually attached to the roof or side of a hole in the ground.

In crisis

This species is classified as Endangered due to destruction of its habitat at both its breeding and wintering sites. The current population is estimated at 1,500-4,000 and decreasing.

Blue swallow is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Blue swallow, Wikidata item Q1042068. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Also in this catalog

Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii
Photograph of Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

Quick answers

What is Blue swallow?
The blue swallow is a small bird within the swallow family that is in the order Passeriformes.
What is the conservation status of Blue swallow?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Hirundo atrocaerulea. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Blue swallow live?
It breeds in the Afromontane (from South Africa to Tanzania), wintering north of Lake Victoria.
Why is Blue swallow in crisis?
The current population is estimated at 1,500-4,000 and decreasing.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Hirundo atrocaerulea?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Blue swallow a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.