Petrochelidon fluvicola
The Streak-throated Swallow (Petrochelidon fluvicola) is a small, agile passerine bird belonging to the family Hirundinidae, distinguished by its unique throat pattern and colonial nesting habits. Measuring approximately 12 cm in length with a wingspan of about 25 cm and typically weighing between 10-14 grams, it is one of the smaller swallow species across its distribution. Its sleek body features dark, iridescent bluish-black upperparts that contrast with clean white underparts, but the mos...
Primarily found in open countryside near water bodies, the Streak-throated Swallow inhabits lowlands, frequently utilizing cliffs, bridges, culverts, and large buildings for nesting, typically below 1,500 meters in elevation.
This species is an obligate aerial insectivore, primarily feeding on a variety of flying insects such as flies, small beetles, moths, and lacewings, which it captures on the wing.
Streak-throated Swallows are highly diurnal and gregarious birds, often forming large communal roosts on wires, reeds, or within their nesting structures outside the breeding season. They are expert aerial insectivores, displaying graceful, agile flight as they hawk insects mid-air, often skimmin...
The Streak-throated Swallow is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent, encompassing India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. While largely resident throughout this range, some populations undertake localized movements, particularly in the northern parts of their distribution ...
Least Concern
- It is considered one of the smallest swallow species found across the Indian subcontinent. - Streak-throated Swallows are master architects, constructing intricate, enclosed, gourd-shaped nests entirely from mud pellets, often with a narrow entrance tunnel. - Historical records indicate they ha...