Mascarene Martin vs Nepal House Martin

Mascarene Martin

Phedina borbonica

Small22 gForest

Adult Mascarene martins of the nominate subspecies are 15 cm (5.9 in) long with wings averaging 117 mm (4.6 in) and weigh 23.9 g (0.84 oz). This small hirundine has dark brown-grey upperparts with faint streaking. It has grey-brown underparts becoming white on the throat and lower abdomen, all being heavily streaked with black. The slightly forked tail averages 54.6 mm (2.15 in) long and has white edges to the brown undertail coverts. The wings are blackish-brown and the bill and legs are black. The eyes are dark brown and the black bill averages 11.3 mm (0.44 in) long.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Wouter Van Landuyt · CC0

Nepal House Martin

Delichon nipalense

Tiny15 gRocky

The adult Nepal house martin is 13 cm (5.1 in) long, mainly blue-black above and white below. It has a contrasting pure white rump, the tail and upperwings are brownish-black, and the underwings are grey-brown. The legs and feet are brownish-pink and covered with white feathers, the eyes are brown, and the bill is black. The chin is black but the extent varies clinally. In the northeast of the range, birds of the race D. n. cuttingi have black on the whole of the throat and the uppermost breast, but further west or south the black increasingly becomes restricted to the chin.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tristan Jobin · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Mascarene Martin and Nepal House Martin.