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Website design sponsored by Amajuba District Municipality
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Swallow Greater striped
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A large swallow
with a pale orange-brown
cap; and a finely streaked
breast and belly. Size 18-20cm - Larger than a Cape Sparrow but
smaller than a Laughing Dove. Afrikaans: Grootstreepswael
The bill is short and slender, and it has a very wide gape. The bill is black and the legs and feet are brown. This species has an orange-brown cap, which does not extend below the level of the eye, or cover the ear-coverts. The orange-brown areas are a paler colour than those on the Lesser Striped Swallow. The rump is also orange-brown and the rest of the upperparts are dark glossy blue-black. The underparts are creamy white, with fine dark streaking, which extends from side of the face, the chin and breast to the lower belly and flanks. The outer tail feathers are quite long and dark. The Greater Striped Swallow is a common summer migrant. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups, and is most often seen close to the nest sites on a house or culvert, or some other man-made structure. The Greater Striped Swallow eats mainly aerial insects, but also some seeds. The call is quite musical and mellow: It consists of a chuckling phrase of 2-3 introductory notes, followed by a deep, gargled trill: crip trap triiirrrr. It also has a mellow chissik callnote. The Greater Striped Swallow breeds from August to March, and usually raises two broods per season. The nest is an enclosed bowl, suspended on the underside of a horizontal surface such as a fallen tree, roof of veranda, culvert or bridge. The nest has a long entrance tunnel and is built entirely from mud pellets and lined with grass and other fine material. |
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A medium-sized
swallow with a pale orange-brown
cap; and a broadly streaked
breast and belly. Size 15-17 cm - about the size of a
Cape Sparrow. Afrikaans: Kleinstreepswael
The bill is short and slender, and it has a very wide gape. The bill is black and the legs and feet are brown. This species has an orange-brown cap, which extends onto the ear-coverts. The orange-brown areas are a richer colour than those on the Greater Striped Swallow. The rump is also orange-brown and the rest of the upperparts are dark glossy blue-black. The underparts are creamy white, with bold, black streaking on the underparts. The streaking is much more heavy and bold than that of the Greater Striped Swallow. The streaking extends from the chin to the breast and flanks. The outer tail feathers are quite long and dark, and the undertail area is whitish. The Lesser Striped Swallow is a common summer migrant to the warmer areas of the region. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups, and is most often seen close to the nest sites on a house or culvert, or some other man-made structure. The Lesser Striped Swallow eats mainly aerial insects, but also some seeds. The call is a loud squeaky nasal song of 9-10 notes, chip chip chwip, kreek, kreek, kreek, chwip. The Lesser Striped Swallow breeds from July to April, and usually raises two broods per season. The nest is an enclosed bowl, suspended on the underside of a horizontal surface such as a fallen tree, roof of verandah, culvert or bridge. The nest has a long entrance tunnel and is built entirely from mud pellets and lined with grass and other fine material. |
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