Nepal House Martin
Delichon nipalense
The Nepal House Martin (Delichon nipalense) is a rare swallow found in 9 countries, weighing about 15 g. The Nepal house martin is a non-migratory passerine of the swallow family Hirundinidae.
About the Nepal House Martin
The Nepal house martin is a non-migratory passerine of the swallow family Hirundinidae. Its two subspecies breed in the Himalayas from northwestern India through Nepal to Myanmar, northern Vietnam, and just into China. It occurs in river valleys and rugged wooded mountain ridges at heights between 1,000–4,000 m (3,300–13,100 ft) altitude, where it nests in colonies beneath overhangs on vertical cliffs, laying three or four white eggs in an enclosed mud nest.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Vietnam.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, October, November, December, with peak activity in April. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Nepal House Martin?
- The adult Nepal house martin is 13 cm (5.1 in) long, mainly blue-black above and white below. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Nepal House Martin?
- The Nepal House Martin is a tiny sized bird weighing about 15 g.
- Where can you see a Nepal House Martin?
- The Nepal House Martin occurs in 9 countries, including India, Bhutan, Nepal, China and Laos.
- What birds look similar to a Nepal House Martin?
- The Nepal House Martin is most easily confused with the Asian House Martin and the Western House Martin.
- Is the Nepal House Martin endangered?
- The Nepal House Martin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Nepal House Martin for real
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