Lesser Striped Swallow
Cecropis abyssinica
The Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica) is a uncommon swallow found in 36 countries, weighing about 13 g. The lesser striped swallow is a large swallow.
About the Lesser Striped Swallow
The lesser striped swallow is a large swallow. It breeds in Sub-Saharan Africa from Sierra Leone and southern Sudan south into eastern South Africa. It is partially migratory with South African birds wintering further north. West African birds leave the north of the breeding range in the dry season.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The lesser striped swallow is 15–10 cm long. It has dark blue upperparts with a red rump and a rufous-chestnut crown, nape and sides of the head. The underparts are white with dark streaking, and the upper wings and underwing flight feathers are blackish-brown. The underwing coverts are tawny. The blackish tail has very long outer feathers; these are slightly longer in the male than the female. Juveniles are duller and browner, with less contrast and shorter outer tail feathers. There are five or six subspecies differing in the extent of the underpart streaking.
What the Lesser Striped Swallow sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Guinea-Bissau, Mali.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Lesser Striped Swallow?
- The lesser striped swallow is 15–10 cm long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Lesser Striped Swallow?
- The Lesser Striped Swallow is a tiny sized bird weighing about 13 g.
- Where can you see a Lesser Striped Swallow?
- The Lesser Striped Swallow occurs in 36 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
- What does a Lesser Striped Swallow sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Lesser Striped Swallow on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Lesser Striped Swallow?
- The Lesser Striped Swallow is most easily confused with the Greater Striped Swallow, the Red-breasted Swallow and the Mosque Swallow.
- Is the Lesser Striped Swallow endangered?
- The Lesser Striped Swallow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Lesser Striped Swallow for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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