African River Martin
Pseudochelidon eurystomina
The African River Martin (Pseudochelidon eurystomina) is a legendary swallow found in 2 countries, weighing about 26 g. The African river martin is a passerine bird, one of two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family, Hirundinidae.
About the African River Martin
The African river martin is a passerine bird, one of two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow family, Hirundinidae. When discovered, it was not initially recognised as a swallow, and its structural differences from most of its relatives, including its stout bill and robust legs and feet, have led to its current placement in a separate subfamily shared only with the Asian white-eyed river martin. The African river martin is a large swallow, mainly black with a blue-green gloss to the head and a greener tint to the back and wings. The under-wings are brownish, the underparts are purple-black, and the flight feathers are black. This martin has red eyes, a broad orange-red bill…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult African river martin is a large swallow, 14 cm (5.5 in) long. It is mainly black, with a silky blue-green gloss to the head, becoming distinctly green on the back and wing coverts. The underparts, other than the brownish under-wings, are purple-black, and the flight feathers are black. The black square tail is 4.8 cm (1.9 in) long, and the soft feather shafts project beyond the barbed section. This feature is most pronounced in the two central feathers, which in the related white-eyed river martin are greatly elongated. The African river martin has brown legs with a 1.5 cm (0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in October. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an African River Martin?
- The adult African river martin is a large swallow, 14 cm (5.5 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an African River Martin?
- The African River Martin is a small sized bird weighing about 26 g.
- Where can you see an African River Martin?
- The African River Martin occurs in 2 countries, including Gabon and Congo - Brazzaville.
- What birds look similar to an African River Martin?
- The African River Martin is most easily confused with the Congo Martin, the Sinaloa Martin and the Black-and-rufous Swallow.
- Is the African River Martin endangered?
- The African River Martin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the African River Martin for real
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