About the Mascarene Martin
The Mascarene martin or Mascarene swallow is a passerine bird in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and in the Mascarene Islands. The nominate subspecies occurs on Mauritius and Réunion and has never been found away from the Mascarene Islands, but the smaller Madagascan subspecies, P. b. madagascariensis, is migratory and has been recorded wintering in East Africa or wandering to other Indian Ocean islands.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in South Africa, Mayotte, Moldova.
When to see it
Peak activity in November · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Nepal House MartinDelichon nipalenseThe adult Nepal house martin is 13 cm (5.1 in) long, mainly blue-black above and white below.
Red-chested SwallowHirundo lucidaThe red-chested swallow is a small non-migratory passerine bird found in West Africa, the Congo Basin and Ethiopia.
Hill SwallowHirundo domicolaThis species is a small swallow at 13 cm (5.1 in).
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